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Forget each kinaness that pow ao
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nh be a $ratefML aebtor.
em ember aLL the h a w e s s
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em ember gooh, remmber trwtb,
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-Priscilla Leonard
 STAFF:
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 J. C. Choate
Editor-in-Chief

The world tells us that tolerance

is a virtue and that intolerance is the
result of bigotry and hatred. It says
that whatever people want to d o
must be accepted without criticism
or censure, because it is only fair to
allow every individual to have his or
her own rights and preferences. If
any such thing as "sin" exists today
it is only in the heart and behavior of
those who would feel intolerance for the excesses of the world.
Particularly does the world require tolerance regarding homosexuals and
lesbians. They want us to recognize that they simply have an alternate life
style, that men should be able to marry men, and women marry women, and
that the government should extended to them all the rights and privileges
enjoyed by any man and woman in marriage. They want to be fully accepted
in the military, in the work place, in the entertainment world, in being able to
adopt children, etc. The news media and entertainment forces have gone all-
out to defend them and to force everyone to accept them. This, by their defini-
tion, is tolerance. They will be content with nothing less.
We as Christians are to love all people. We sympathize with those who
have emotional and psychological problems, and we want to help them to
leave that kind of self-destructive living. Yes, it is self-destructive, because
it is costing millions of lives through AIDS. And the very tolerance that is
insisted upon is the basis on which homosexuality spreads, taking with it the
deadly scourge of HIV and AIDS.
Tolerance of a sinful, destructive life style is no more helpful to homo-
sexuals than it is to thieves, murderers, drug addicts, habitual liars, fornica-
tors, or adulterers. As Christians we are sorry for the pain in these lives; we
have love for them; we want to be patient with them and help them to give up
2
their practices so that they can live a better life, a normal life. But we cannot
approve their way of living because God Himself says that it is wrong.
God set the example for us. He loves sinners but He does not love their
sin. He gave his Son to die, that men and women might be saved from their
sins, and He has asked all sinners - including homosexuals and lesbians -
to believe in Him, to turn away from their sins, to confess His Son, and to be
baptized to wash away the wrong in their lives. Then He expects them to
live pure and godly lives, abstaining from the very appearance of evil.
Which life style does God approve? When He created the world, He
created man and woman and the institution of marriage, forming the first
home. He gave Adam and Eve the ability and the responsibility to have
children who would grow to maturity and marry and have children of their
own, thus perpetuating the human race. This God-ordained system has con-
tinued on up to our day and is the reason we now have over 6 billion men
and women in the world.
Let's imagine two scenarios: If every man and woman since the begin-
ning had married, formed a happy home, parented children, and abstained
from divorce, what would have been the result? Happiness? Security? The
continuation of life? But suppose every man and woman since the begin-
ning had followed the homosexuaVlesbian life style, what would have been
the result? The immediate end of the human race! When death (whether
through AIDS or extinction) is the inevitable result of behavior, isn't there
something terribly wrong with that way of life?
In Genesis 18 and 19 we have the story of the angels of God visiting
Abraham to tell him of their mission to destroy the cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah because of their great wickedness. Abraham, knowing that his
nephew, Lot, lived in Sodom, pleaded with God to spare the cities if as few
as 50 righteous could be found there. God agreed, but Abraham continued
to plead for mercy, bringing the number down to 10 righteous, and God
promised to spare the cities for even that small number.
Entering Sodom, the angels met Lot. He insisted that they come to his
home because of the danger they would face in the streets. When the men
of the city learned that Lot had visitors, they came to his door and demanded
that the men be brought out that they might have carnal relations with them.
In an extreme effort to protect his guests, Lot even offered his two daughters
- perhaps secure in the knowledge that, with the perversion of the
Sodomites, they would have no interest in women. In answer, the men
began to push against Lot, intending to break down the door. The angels
then pulled Lot inside and closed the door, and they smote the men with
blindness. Realizing that they were suddenly blind, did the men run from
3
the place in the fear and terror that should have been a normal response?
No, their perversion was as great as we see today - the text says that they
merely "wearied themselves to find the door"! And today, with HIV and
AIDS killing homosexuals on every side, what is the response? Some are so
perverted that they go out looking for a person who is already infected, to
add the thrill of danger to the thrill of sexual perversion.
Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with fire from heaven because of
their debauchery. Was the Lord merciful in dealing with those cities? He
was merciful to the extent that even if 10 righteous people could have been
found, He would have spared the entire population, though their sin was so
great that they deserved to be destroyed. But the 10 could not be found and
so they were destroyed.
When we think of those cities and of their consuming sexual perversion,
we realize that they were as wicked as people can get. How could anyone justi-
fy them, or those of our day who engage in such wicked acts? But you might
say that homosexuals and lesbians of our day don't do such things. Oh, yes
they do! They not only behave with as much debauchery, but they glory in it.
In homosexual and lesbians get-togethers, it is no secret they are often naked
and engage publicly in the most licentious sexual acts. The news media films
some of these things but they do not air them because they are too gross, and
because they are trying to protect them from bad publicity.
In the New Testament, Paul wrote. "For the wrath of God is revealed,from
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness oj men, who hold the truth
in unrighteousness; . . . Because that, when they knew God, they gloriJied him
not as God, neither were thankfil; but became vain irz their imaginations, aizd
theirfoolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:18,21). Now who was Paul,
through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. talking about here?
We learn the answer as he continued, "Wherefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their
own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie,
and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is
blessed for ever. Ameit. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affec-
tions: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is
against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the
woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working
that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of
their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in
their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those
things which are not convenierlt; Being $Ned with all uitrighteousness, for-
nication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder,
4
debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without
understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable,
unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit
such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in
them that do them" (Romans 1:24-32).
Who was Paul describing? And how did God respond to the homosexu-
als and lesbians of that day? It says that "God gave them up to vile affec-
tions." He did not say that God accepted them as they were and that He
approved of their behavior as just another life style. No, He gave them up,
which means that He rejected them. There was no toleration for a sinful,
destructive manner of living.
Listen to Paul's words to the Corinthian Christians, "Know ye not that
the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: nei-
ther fornicators, nor idolators, not adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers
of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians
6:9,10). Among all the wicked named in this passage, two groups were the
"effeminate and the abusers of themselves with mankind." These would be
people with perverted sex lives: lesbians, homosexuals, and tranvestites.
Paul said that such people cannot inherit the kingdom of God or the church.
That is, they cannot be saved unless they repent, which means that they must
give up such sinful acts. Notice that Paul did not condone them, explaining
that they were born with genes that compelled them to live that type of life.
Rather, he classified their actions as unrighteous and said that they could not
be saved if they continued to live that way. Neither did he excuse them by
saying that they had a sickness or a habit that they could not change. The
very fact that God condemns a practice means that it is a sin, and that one
can choose to continue in it or to quit.
Now, let's deal with the question of tolerance. When do homosexuals
and lesbians show tolerance? They find great fault with all who do not accept
their immoral acts. They try to force themselves and their way of life on
everyone else. They make demands and ask for special privileges because of
what they are. They reject being condemned for their practices but they
quickly condemn any and all who disagree with them. Is this tolerance?
Again, we love humans - sinners - and we want all sinners to be
saved but, at the same time, we cannot condone anyone's immoral practices.
God condemns sinful behavior, and so must we or else we will be found
fighting God too. Homosexuals and lesbians can repent. Others have done
it and so can the rest, if they choose life. P
5
 Byron Nichols

We have been impressed with

the strong sense of duty which Paul
felt regarding sharing the message of
salvation with others just as the Lord
Himself had so lovingly done for
him. The apostle wrote, "I am a
debtor both to Greeks and to barbar-
ians, both to wise and to unwise " Romans 1 :14).
I most definitely do not want to minimize the importance of that indebt-
edness of which Paul wrote, but I would like to briefly extract his words "I
am a debtor" from that context and use them to try to help us think with
great gratitude about others to whom we are indebted in a different way.
As Christians, we owe so much to so many. Surely we think imrnedi-
ately of God. Certainly we are forever indebted to that one who "so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Perhaps we
remember with tears that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). And we
are awed as we "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on
us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:l). How can we
ever repay such love and mercy?!
Obviously, we owe an awesome debt to Jesus, the only one who could
complete the plan of redemption as outlined by the Father. Paul said that
Jesus gave up equality with God in order that He might become a lowly ser-
vant - all because of His desire to save mankind from the just reward for
sin (Philippians 2:5-8). This fact is driven home with force in Paul's words
in 2 Corinthians 8:9, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through
His poverty might become rich. " The debt we owe to Jesus is increased by
His having left us an example so that we may follow in His steps (1 Peter
2:21).
The third personality of the Deity, the Holy Spirit, has also brought
about a great indebtedness on our part. It was the Spirit who "rnoved" the
biblical penmen to write those inspired words that can guide us from earth to
heaven (2 Peter 1:21). In addition, it is "the Spirit who also helps in our
weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but
the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered" (Romans 8:26). Most assuredly, we are deeply indebted to the
Holy Spirit for His great help to us.
We also owe a great debt to a host of others besides the godhead. Just
think of those ancient stalwarts of the faith who left us such an example
of courage and conviction, saints who were ready to literally give up their
lives rather than compromise their commitment to Christ. Consider, too,
those Christians of earlier generations in our own country who sacrificed
greatly in many ways to establish and promote the church in our land. The
church of the present is indeed debtor to the church of past generations.
How can we ever repay the debt we owe to those who taught us the
way of the Lord? Surely our gratitude should be shown by our living in
obedience to His will and by our caring for others as these have cared for
US.
In thinking about those to whom we are indebted, we must think of
those elders who have given of themselves to "watch for [our] souls"
(Hebrews 13:17). It is truly an awesome responsibility that they have
accepted, especially in view of the fact that they must one day "give
account" for each of us. It behooves us all to live in such a manner that
they may be able to give their accounts "with joy and not with griej "
It should be obvious that we are also indebted to those preachers and
teachers who have given of themselves in our behalf, who have loved us
enough to try to spur us on and not give up, who have faithfully admon-
ished us to "be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord," knowing that our "labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians
1558).
It is only right that we add to our list the folks who are faithful exam-
ples of Christian living for us; those encouragers whose words and pats on
the shoulder help us more than they realize; and on and on we could go.
Like Paul, we surely are debtors to those who still need to hear the
Gospel. However, may we always also remember the many others to whom
we are indebted, those who have contributed to our hope for eternity. 6
7

God: Understandingthe ........... 10
Contempt for God ....................... 13
Standing on Solid Ground............ I4
The Love of God .......................... 16
EVIDENCES
Is There Conflict . . . ? .................. 17
The Blessed Truth .................... 19
Where in the World . . . ? ............. 21
THE WORDOF GOD
Can We Live Without Hope?........ 24
Buy the Truth and Sell It Not ........25
Our Winnowing Fan ..................... 27
Basis and Source of Authority ......30
Maintaining our Focus.................. 33
Who Is a "Pastor" . . . ? ................35
SALV ATlON
Salvation from Hell ....................... 37
Be Warned: Your Feelings . . . . . . .40
THE CHURCH
The Lost Vision ............................ 43
The Holy Priesthood .................... 44
Understandingthe Times ......... 46
The Paradox of the Church ..........47
WORSHIP
A Very Special Day ...................... 48
Faddish Worship ......................... ,49
In Spirit and in Truth..................... 50
CHURCHGROWTH
Bringing Together .................... 52
CHURCHHISTORY
Time of Treason ........................... 58
Has It Always Existed? ................61
CHRIST1ANlTy I N ACTION
Evangelism - A Way of Life ....... 64
8
Emphasis on Evangelism.............65
Who Will Be Saved? .................... 66
DAILY CHRISTIAN LIVING
Divorce -- Broken Homes . . . . . . .67
Hindered Prayers ......................... 70
Do Not Try to Run Ahead ......... 72
THECHRISTIANHOME
What Have They Seen . . .? .........75
Preparing Children for Marriage...77
If Eli Could Speak to Parents .......78
COMFORT AND REASSURANCE
Smoldering ................................... 82
The Lord Will Deliver Me.............. 83
Comfort at His Coming................. 84
PROVERBS 1 7:22
Humor .......................................... 87
TEXTUAL STUDIES
New Life in Christ ......................... 89
God and the Kingdom First ..........91
CHARTS AND OUTLINES
Regaining Your First Love ........... 93
Our Example in a ..................... 95
BIBLECHARACTERS
Be a Barnabas ............................. 97
Gehazi. A Servant ........................ 99
Ruth: A Light Shining .............100
POEMS AND WRITINGS
When I Thank Him for What . . . . . 15
Hope ............................................ 34
God Wants You to Succeed .........39
If ................................................... 41
Ten Thoughts to Start the Day .....45
They Were Shocked .................... 51
Promise Yourself .......................... 57
Influence ...................................... 73
A Tragic Choice ........................... 76
What Is Ecstasy? ......................... 80
My Lord Will Come for Me............ 86
A Consistent Christian ................. 90
Can You Spare . . . ? ................... 92
Today I Spent Some Quiet Time..96
The Gift that I've Got ....................98
FEATURES
Quick Commentary ......................23
How Do You Measure Up? .......... 29
Verse Search ...............................42
Who Am I?................................... 74
Puzzle Answers ..............Back Page
FROM THE HEART OF.. .
Philippines.................................. 102
A Field Ripe for Harvest ........ 102
Mindanao - History of . . . ..I03
Evangelism in the .............106

THEVOICEOF TRUTH
lNYERNATIONAL
How exciting it is to see the
growing interest from many parts
of the world in THE VOICE OF
TRUTHINTERNATIONAL, and to
be getting reports of the good it is
doing. It is our determination to
continue publishing a quarterly that
is true to God's book, "user friend-
ly", and one that carries a range of
articles which will speak to the
needs of all readers.
Those Christians who desire
to introduce the Gospel to people
who have no familiarity with the
church should realize the perfec-
tion of THE VOICE OF TRUTH
INTERNATIONAL for just such a
task. May I ask that each one of us
look for opportunities to share it
and to follow-up on teaching those
contacts. God bless you. - JCC
God:
Samuel A. Matthews
This study is dedicated to the
many believers in God (Muslims,
Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, etc.)
who do not understand that Jesus is
not only the Son of God, but is also
God the Son. Since no greater
truth is affirmed in the Sacred Text,
one cannot read the Bible (especial-
ly the New Testament) without rec-
ognizing the One Who is God the
Son (Hebrews 1:8). This doctrine in
fact permeates the Word of God
from Genesis to Revelation; only a
materialist would fail to see it.
Many people misunderstand the
term "God". So, let's talk about
Deity! Deity is a name of the
Supreme Being (from the Latin,
"Deus", God). The term signifies in
a concrete sense Him whom we call
God. Concerning our Lord Jesus,
the term means to assert that He was
the very and ETERNAL God.
The word "GOD" is not the
name of apersonality, it is the name
of a nature, a quality of being (as
opposed, for example, to the angelic
10
or human natures). It is simply a
name for the Divine nature.
Therefore, when the Bible affirms
there is but one God (Mark 12:29),
the meaning is that there is but one
Divine nature, one Deity, or one
Godhead. And because there is but
one divine nature, it follows there is
but one God.
There is a unified set of traits or
characteristics that distinguish a
personality as being "God". And
those persons possessing these
attributes are referred to as " G o d in
the Bible. So there is no contradic-
tion whatsoever in the biblical
teaching that there is but ONE
divine nature or one God. The
Bible reveals that the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit (three persons) each
possess the divine nature - the
infinite characteristics of deity.
There is but one divine nature, but
there are three possessing this uni-
fied set of qualities. Thus, each is
called God (John 6:27; 2 Peter 1:17;
Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:3,4).
 Indispensable to a clear under-
standing of Deity is an awareness of
the difference between "nature" and
"person". Deity is eternal! Jesus, the
Father, and the Holy Spirit are ETER-
NAL in nature. Jesus said, "I and the
Father are one" (John 10:30; John
17:20-23). Some falsely teach that
this means they must be one in per-
son. But everyone knows that persons
and things can be one in one sense
and more than one in another sense.
For example, God has declared
that husband and wife are one
(Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5,6) but
this certainly does not mean they
are ONE person. They are still two
separate persons, yet in another
sense they are one. The word "one7'
must here be recognized as neuter
gender which has to mean one in
"nature". Jesus and the Father (and
the Holy Spirit) are "one" in doc-
trine, unity, aim, essence and pur-
pose - but not one in person!
As further proof that John 1@30
does NOT teach (as the "Jesus Only"
Pentecostals falsely contend) that
Jesus and the Father are one person,
Jesus prayed in John 17:20-23 that
His followers might be ONE "even
as" the Father and He were one. We
who believe and follow Jesus cer-
tainly are not one big fat person!
Neither are the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit one person.
Some conceive of God as a
mathematical unit; and as a thing
cannot be both mathematically sin-
gular and plural - one and three, at
the same time and in the same sense
- they deny the true and proper
divinity of the Son of God and the
Spirit of God. But it would seem
that they reason NOT in harmony
with the sacred style of inspiration.
Why should we imagine that there
cannot be a plurality of personal
manifestations in the divine nature,
any more than in the angelic or
human, especially as man was creat-
ed in the image of God (Read 1
Timothy 3: 16).
Deity means God. God is
Deity. The Son is Deity. There-
fore, the Son is God. Deity, when
complete, requires three Beings.
Thus, the Spirit and the Son merge
with the Father to form the Godhead
(Genesis 1: 1; Acts 17:29). When
Deity is referred to, and the word
"God" is used, it is necessary to
determine from the context whether
it is God - the Father (John 17:1,
3, 5), God - the Son (John 1:1), or
God - the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4).
Jesus is also called Holy child
Jesus (Acts 4:30). The adjective
word, "Holy", is applied to all three
persons of the Godhead at different
times in the Bible. Jesus was con-
ceived by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit
thus being Holy and not evil. God -
Jehovah - is a Holy Spirit, but NOT
the same Spirit or Person, as God -
the Holy Spirit. Jesus is called God,
but that doesn't mean that Jesus is
God - the Father! He couldn't be
the Father because He is the Son.
In John 3 : 1 6 it is revealed:
"For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting
life. " Is it possible to read even this
one familiar passage of scripture
without understanding that there are
two distinct persons referred to in
the passage: God - the giver, and
the Son -the given?
There is not a single individual
upon the face of God's earth who is
able to prove from the Bible the
false teaching that the Godhead con-
sists of only one Divine Being. It is
an unprovable proposition because
the Bible nowhere teaches such. It
is simply not a part of God's tmth.
The Bible does teach, however, that
there is one perfect, eternal, divine
essence Who alone is the Creator
and Sustainer of the Universe. And,
that this ONE divine essence or
nature belongs equally to THREE
separate and distinct persons, desig-
nated in the Bible as the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Please SEARCH THE ABOVE
SCRIPTURES and see whether
these things are so (Acts 17: 11).
The churches of Christ are neither
Catholic, Protestant, nor Jew. We
are CHRISTIANS (1 Peter 4: 16)!
We teach only the Bible; and the
Bible ONLY makes Christians
ONLY and the ONLY Christians. D
Samuel A. Matthews works with the
church of Christ in Moab, Utah, USA.
 Not many of us will admit to
any kind of contempt f o r God.
Most of us feel that we are respect-
ful enough, e v e n if w e a r e not
always mindful of Him.
But that's part of it. It is usually
when we are not really mindful of
Him that we show the most contempt.
It is becoming more and more
common to hear the word "God"
used by Christians as an exclama-
tion. No real thought is given to this
use of His name; it is just a
spur-of-the-moment outcry. But,
whatever else it may be, it is, first of
all, contempt. God's name is holy
and should not be used as some kind
of profane malediction - or even as
a meaningless exclamation. I have
often wondered how those who justi-
fy using the Lord's name in this way
would feel if we shouted out their
mother's name as an expletive.
Improper conduct is also a form
of contempt for God, contempt for
the fact of His omnipresence. We
watch our behavior very closely
when someone is present that we do
not wish to offend. God is ever pre-
sent - why do we feel that it is not
contempt f o r Him when we act
directly contrary to what He has
asked of us and what His presence
should demand?
Indifference while worshipping
is perhaps one of the greater offens-
es. This is a time set apart specifi-
cally to honor God. We allocate so
little time for Him alone, how can
we dare demonstrate nonchalance
during what should be such precious
moments?
There must be a thousand ways
for us to show contempt for our God
while He is not even on our minds.
But the best way to correct this
problem is to make certain that He
is always on our minds and honored
in our hearts. P
Jack W. Carter preaches for the
Lord's church in Castle Rock, Colo-
rado, USA.
 v
Sometimes I think I would like
to know all the answers. But 1
don't, and I never will. I don't
know where today is going; I only
know where it is at this very
moment. I don't know when angels
were created; I can only believe
they were. I don't know the fullest
meaning of eternity; I can only
believe it must be.
Life is filled with unknowns of
every description. Some things that
are not known today might be
known tomorrow. There was a time
when men believed the earth was
the center of the solar system, but
Copernicus changed that belief.
Until Louis Pasteur, men did not
understand germs. Astronomers are
currently reevaluating what they
believed they knew about the planet
Jupiter. Placing oneself at the
mercy of the latest "in thing" is not
Hollis Miller
always a wise thing to do.
Believers in Jesus Christ are
just that - believers in Jesus Christ.
Their lives are guided by Him
because they believe certain things
about Him. They believe Jesus was
the Word that became flesh and
dwelled among men (John 1: 14).
They believe He was involved in
creation. "All things were made
through Him, and without Him was
not anything made that was made"
(John 1:3). They believe Jesus is
truth. "I am the way, and the truth,
and the life ..." (John 14:6).
Standing before Pilate, Jesus said:
"For this I was born, and for this I
have come into the world, to bear
witness to the truth" (John 18:37).
Even though Jesus brought
truth to the world, there are many
things He did not discuss. He did
not talk about mathematics, all the
events of history, or everything been in the world. His faith is here;
about the future. The concern of His church is here; the memorial of
Jesus was our way of life and our His body and blood is here; the New
eternal destiny. He taught us that in Testament is here. Jesus is truth!
the end He will be there when all Standing on Him is to stand on solid
else will have vanished. ground. D
In 2 Corinthians 5: 11 Paul used Hollis Miller is a gospel preacher liv-
an interesting word about his ing in Cadiz, Kentucky, USA.
preaching.
"Knowing
the fear of
the Lord, we
persuade
men." The
mind is per-
suaded, not
the feet or
the elbows.
One who
would follow
the truth of
Jesus must
be persuaded
in the mind
to do so. His
reasoning
powers must
be brought
into harmony
with the truth
Jesus brought
to the world.
W h e n
you lay this
article aside,
please do so
persuaded
that Jesus has
"He brought me toward us, i n
to the banqueting that, while we
house, and his were yet sin-
banner over me ners, Christ
was love" (Song died for us."
of Solomon 2:4). "God so loved
Truly the the world, He
love of God ex- gave his only
ceeds our broad- Son " (John
est imaginations. 3:16). Thus
In Jeremiah 3 1:3 the active na-
we read, " T h e ture of gen-
Lord hath a p - uine love.
peared of old In Reve-
unto me, saying, lation 3: 19 we
Yea, I have loved learn another
thee with an ev- principle con-
erlasting love; cerning love.
therefore with loving-kindness have Jesus said, "as many as I love, I
I drawn thee." Again concerning rebuke and chasten." When we read
God's love, we read in Ephesians Hebrews 12:11 we can see and realize
2:4,5, "But God, who is rich in the love that prompts discipline.
mercy, for His great love wherewith "Now no chastening for the present
He loved us, even when we were seemeth to be joyous, but grievous;
dead in sins, hath quickened us nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the
together with Christ." These state- peaceable fruit of righteousness unto
ments come as no surprise when we them which are exercised thereby."
really understand the fact that "God So it is, "charity [love] shall cover
is love" (1 John 4:8). Thus, when the multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8)
we look at God's love, we see love when one shall convert the sinner
in its purest and fullest sense. from the error of his way and save a
1 Thessalonians 1:3 speaks of soul from death (James 5:20).
the "labor of love, " while 1 John These are the ways God has
3: 18 also mentions the active nature displayed His love for mankind.
of genuine love. We see this Let us do the same. V
attribute of love powerfully demon-
strated in Jehovah. Romans 5:8 Don W. Walker preaches for the
Shenandoah congregation in San
declares. "God commended His love Antonio, Texas, USA.
Is There Conflict
Between
the Bible
Maxie B. Boren
Millions of people have been
misled into believing there is no
conflict between the theory of evo-
lution and the Bible. Even many
religious people have been so
duped. These have tried to harmo-
nize "atheistic evolution" and the
Bible by embracing so-called "the-
istic evolution", accepting the idea
that God brought life to be as we
know it by the mechanism of evolu-
tion. But the fact is that the theory
of evolution is incompatible with
the Scriptures, regardless of whether
one tries to include God to some
degree or not. (And just for the
record: the vast majority of
adamant evolutionists DO NOT
BELIEVE IN GOD, and despise the
Genesis account.) Why, I ask,
would a Christian be inclined to
seek "harmony" with a system of
thinking that denies God?
17
Many, if not most, evolutionists
say that life came into existence
through "spontaneous generation",
thus bypassing God as the source of
life. In the book, Biological
Science - An Inquiry Into Life,
published in 1963, and produced by
the American Institute of Biological
Sciences, it is stated: "We know
that the world was once without life
- that life appeared later. How?
We think it was by spontaneous
generation!" (page 41). Further-
more, the authors affirmed: "Now
ifonebelievesintheoccurrenceof
spontaneous generation, he cannot
also strictly believe in an orderly
origin of living things."
Let it register in your mind the
position taken by the evolutionists:
(1) By "spontaneous generation"
life came to be; (2) One cannot
believe in "spontaneous genera-
tion" and at the same time believe in
an "orderly origin of living
things." Therefore, by the evolu-
tionists' own declaration, one cannot
believe the evolutionary theoiy nnd
at the same time believe the Biblical
account of creation in Genesis 1.
Yes, there is indeed conflict between
the theory of evolution and the
Bible! Make no mistake about it!
The evolutionists recognize it. And
so should believers in God!
I for one abhor, denounce, and
repudiate the theory of evolution:
(1) Because it attempts to
offer an explanation for the exis-
tence of the universe and life
apart from the Creator, and in so
doing robs God of the rightful
glory and praise He should
receive (read Psalm 33:6-8;
1 4 6 : l - 6 ; 1 4 8 : l - 5 , 1 3 ; Acts
17:22-28; Romans 11:33,36;
Ephesians 3:20,21: Revelation
4:11, etc.). How can a Christian
subscribe to anything that does
that? Christians should be con-
tinually offering God praise for
His creative genius, not compro-
mising with the enemies of God
by giving credence to their god-
less theories!
(2) Because by the teaching
of the theory of evolution, faith
is subverted in the hearts of the
susceptible and ill-informed,
separating them from God, and
planting in their hearts a "philo-
sophical approach" to life that
leaves God out (read Hebrews
11:l-3,6; Romans 1:18-23).
(3) Because the theory of
evolution, which teaches that life
spontaneously arose from non-
life, eliminates the basis for prop-
er human conduct. If man is just
the "highest rung" on the evolu-
tionary ladder of blind chance
development, and there is no
Creator to whom man is account-
able, then why act differently
from the beasts? Such thinking
not only lends full support to the
philosophies of hedonism and
humanism, but also to "master
race" Nazism and such like!
My friends. "the theory of evo-
lution" is a diabolical lie of Satan,
and is a very real contributing factor
to the social and moral decline of
our world. Q
Maxie 6. Boren preaches for t h e
Brown Trail congregation of t h e
church of Christ in Bedford, Texas,
USA.
 The child of God today can boldly declare that Jesus Christ did arise
from the grave, conquering death and offering hope for every individual in
the world. As students of the Bible one of the things in which we must
believe is the resurrection. It is obvious that Christianity and the resurrec-
tion go together and cannot be separated.
There are three major areas which prove the resurrection did take place:

In Psalm 16:10 David said concerning the coming Messiah, "For thou
wilt not leave my soul in Hades; neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see
corruption. " Jesus Christ foretold His own resurrection even when His dis-
ciples did not know what was meant by His statement in Matthew 12:40:
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so
shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the
earth." And again, "From that time forth Jesus began to show unto His dis-
ciples how that He must go into Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the
elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again the
third day" (Matthew 16:21). Finally, He promised in Matthew 26:32,
"After I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee."
 Some of the best trained men were placed at the door of the tomb for the
very reason of keeping watch. The enemies of Christ actually tried to prevent
the power of God. In Matthew 27:62-66 the officials said, "Lest his disciples
come by night and steal him away and say to the people, 'He is risen from the
dead'." Nevertheless, no matter what feeble men tried to do, they could not
stop the power of God Almighty and, yes, the tomb was found empty.

It was the enemies of Jesus who made up a lie, stating that the disciples
came and stole away the body of the Lord (Matthew 28: 11-15). Yet, each of
the inspired writers of the gospel accounts declared that, "He is not here, He
is risen" (Matthew 28:6).
The resurrection was a major truth which the Apostles used to give cre-
dence to the Messiahship of Jesus. Peter declared with boldness, "Him...y e
have taken and with wicked hands have cruciJied and slain, whom God hath
raised up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that
He should be holden of it" (Acts 2:23,24). The greatest difference exists
between the apostles before and after the resurrection. Previously, they had
cowered and fled from the trial of Jesus, but at Pentecost they claimed to
have seen the resurrected Lord, freed from the confines of the tomb.
Paul discussed the significance of the resurrection for Christians today.
"For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the
dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1
Corinthians 15:21,22). The life we shall obtain is based in the fact of the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without the resurrection we would have no
hope. As Paul said, " l f i n this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all
men the most pitiable" (1 Corinthians 15:19). Since we know that Christ
did come back from the dead, we have the greatest hope and the greatest
reason to live for Him. D
James W. Farris is a preacher of the Gospel, working with the church in San
Augustine, Texas, USA.
20
 Has it been twenty-five years
since man first walked on the
moon? More than the first moon
walk, the entire space program has
become a vital part of our lives.
Yet, for what purpose did
America spend that 24 billion dol-
lars? Why did twelve men walk on
the moon and bring home hundreds
of pounds of rocks? The primary
goal of this exploration was to
attempt to discover the origin of the
moon. By discovering the moon's
origin, scientists thought that we
21
would be able to better understand
the origin of the earth and the rest of
the solar system.
In his new book, Liftoff,
America's Adventure in Space,
astronaut Michael Collins recounts
this search. Before the moon explo-
ration began, he points out, there
were three possible explanations for
the moon's beginning. Scientists
thought it might have condensed
from gaseous matter. Others pro-
posed that the moon was a piece of
matter that wandered into our sys-
tem and was captured by the earth's
gravity and pulled into orbit. The
third explanation was that the moon
used to be part of the earth that
broke off.
The moon rocks brought back
by the Apollo program disproved
the first and third explanations. The
moon rocks are of a different chem-
ical composition than those of earth.
The second explanation is greatly
weakened by mathematical analysis.
In effect, Collins concludes, after all
the time, money, effort, and lives
have been spent, men still do not
know the origin of the moon.
This failure brings to mind
Paul's words: "Where is the wise
man? Where is the scholar? ...the
world through its wisdom did not
know him.. . " (1 Corinthians 1:10-21).
We wonder why men are
unwilling to have simple faith in
what God has said. In reality, there
are only two explanations for the
origin of the moon and the rest of
creation. One explanation is that
God made them. This should settle
it if we are willing to believe that
He is, and that He is a rewarder of
those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)
This faith should embolden and
enrich our lives. Because He lives,
we can face not only tomorrow, but
also anything else that comes.
The other explanation is that
God did not create the world. If
this is true, what difference does it
make where the world came from?
We are all doomed to a brief life
and then a ceaseless existence. In
reality, to study, experiment, and
explore to find the origin of life
becomes a meaningless exercise.
Which of the two explanations
is correct? Science has admitted it
does not have the answer. What is
lost if one has faith in God as the
Creator? If we are wrong, and God
does not exist, our end will be no
different. Yet, if we are right, what
a joy to waken in the presence of
the King! We can easily imagine
the horror of those who have chosen
the wrong explanation for the
world's origin.
Simple faith settles many ques-
tions. I once heard of an evangelist
who took some time before the
preaching services to answer ques-
tions from the audience. Once he
was asked, "How do you explain
the children of Israel crossing the
Red Sea on dry land?" His
answer, "God. Next question."
Sometimes, only one word is
needed to explain what man's mon-
strous efforts cannot explain. If God
did what He said He did, we should
do what He said for us to do. If we
do not do what He said for us to do,
our fate is certain and our eternity
sure. He is still the "I AM"! 9
Ancil Jenkins is a writer and preacher
in Jarnestown, Tennessee, USA.
 Christian exists in a fleshly
ody that is dying; but because o

the Spirit of God.

ence the New Birth canno

But if the Spirit of Him

w life to vwr mcnr-

state by the Spirit of God. If His

die, as He dwells in
 Peter Mostert
T h e Bible, which speaks of
good news, is a collection of books
or writings that were penned during
a period of 1,500 years. Moses
wrote the first five books, starting
with Genesis, and John wrote the
last. Revelation, in A.D. 96.
Throughout the Bible a unique
thread of hope is interwoven -
Jesus was the promised hope of the
Old Testament, He came to earth and
died for all, and is coming again on
the last day to retrieve the faithful, as
recorded in the New Testament.
The Bible is important to us as
our source of hope, that Jesus will be
returning for "me" and "my" loved
ones. The hope that we have in Christ
as our Savior, however, is not wishful
thinking or an unrealistic expectation
or a fantasy. Our hope is an anchor of
the soul - secure and steadfast, in His
promises (Hebrews 6: 19,20).
Our hope is a feeling of confi-
dent expectation that will be real-
ized when Jesus returns. It is an
intangible that many people cannot
understand, but for those who have
the hope it is the major source of
comfort, and those who hope place
their trust in God.
There are two major reasons for
having such a hope:
The first is in Jesus. He is our
hope. He defeated Satan and death
by His resurrection from the grave
and is now preparing a place for us
in heaven. He is also our advocate,
able to overcome any charge raised
against us by Satan, the accuser.
The second is the Bible. The
Bible, God's Word or Divine Com-
munication, is the story of man's fall
from grace in the Garden of Eden,
and his redemption through Jesus.
The Bible is not "just a book" to be
compared to Shakespeare, Homer,
Plato, or others. There is no other
book like it, not in continuity, circu-
lation, translation, survival, teaching,
or influence. It is the oizly book that
is truly a universal manual for all
people everywhere, any time, and in
any culture.
T h e Bible c a n b e believed
today - "not i n part, but the
whole." From Genesis to Malachi,
Matthew to Revelation, God's Word
is in-spired, not someone's clever
imagination or interpretation! "We
stand secure on the Word of God,
the B- 1-B-L-E," as the children's
song suggests. V
Peter Mostert works with the church
of Christ in Yucaipa, California, USA.
 Solomon said in Proverbs
23:23, "Buy the truth and sell it not;
also wisdom, and instruction, and
understanding. " To the superficial
mind, the question might be raised,
"How could a person buy something
if no one sold?" But the thing of
which Solomon spoke in Proverbs
23:23 is not a commercial venture.
Our Christian heritage was bought
with the blood of the martyrs, but
no person sold it to us.
When Jesus said, " Y e shall
know the truth and the truth shall
make you free" (John 8:32), He
expressed a principle of the widest
application. Knowledge of historic
truth can make us free from having
to repeat the same mistakes over
25
and over. Knowledge of scientific
truth can make us free from super-
stition in those areas and free to
explore in all sorts of areas hereto-
fore inaccessible. Economic truths
can make us free from poverty.
Medical truth can make us free from
various kinds of diseases. Moral
and ethical truths can make us free
from many of the social ills that
plague our nations. Religious truth
can make us free from the love,
practice, guilt, burden, stain, and
punishment of sin. But when Jesus
used the word "shall" He did not
mean that it was an automatic or
predetermined reality. "You shall
know the truth" in no way means
you are forced to know it. And
 "the truth shall make you free" only
if it is applied or acted upon.
If we think in man's normal
relationships with man, we can
immediately see the value of Paul's
admonition, "Wherefore putting
away lying, speak every man truth
with his neighbor" (Ephesians
4:25). An orderly society cannot
exist in the absence of truth. The
disorder in all societies is largely
the result of the failure to recognize
the value of truth.
In the philosophical or scientif-
ic area, the same kind of thing is
true. For example, the acceptance
of the false doctrine of evolution
and its related corollaries has
brought untold damage to humanity.
It includes such things as the mur-
der of millions of unborn babies,
Hitler's atrocities (many of which
were based on the idea of "the sur-
vival of the fittest," which is an evo-
lutionary concept), including selec-
tive breeding, and the murder of the
"unfit," and many other examples of
man's inhumanity to man. There is
nothing at all philosophically or sci-
entifically sound about the theory of
evolution, for it cannot be proven to
be logical or scientific.
There is also moral, religious,
and spiritual truth. Probably
Solomon primarily had this kind in
mind. If God is not a sovereign
God, the source of all moral and
spiritual truth, and man is not a
mortal, moral, accountable being,
made in His image, bound by nature
and law to live in accord with that
truth or suffer the consequences,
then any talk of ethics and morality
is utter foolishness.
To buy the truth, then, is to
assert its reality, persevere in its
acquisition, and devote oneself to its
practice. Prejudice and pride must
be put aside. Sin and self-will must
be sacrificed.
To "sell it not" means never to
lose the disposition of mind that
causes you to value it above all else.
It means never to betray it through
selfish or sordid motive. A preacher
who preaches some false doctrine
through the desire for money, pres-
tige, or power has sold the truth.
But the preacher who does not
preach false doctrine, but fails to
preach the truth for the same rea-
sons, or any other, has also sold it.
Inasmuch as no society can
function with disregard for truth, no
noble or worthwhile activity that is
based on error or lies can be carried
to successful fruition, our freedom
in any area is based on truth, and
our sanctification and eternal salva-
tion are as a result of truth, let us
buy the truth and sell it not. Let
us sacrifice all, even life, if need be,
on the altar of truth. P
T. Pierce Brown preaches and lives in
Cookeville, Tennessee, USA.
 "His winnowing fan is in Hi5 hand, arld He will thoroughly purge His
threshingpoor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the
chaff with unqilenchablefire " (Matthew 3:12).
Harvest was an important event to the farmers of Christ's day. The
grain with the stalks would be carried to a place prepared where it would be
spread out and, either by animals treading over the harvest or by pulling a
kind of sled over it, the grain would be separated from the stalks. This
would be followed by using a two- or three-pronged fork called a winnow-
ing fan with which the kernel and the chaff would be separated by tossing
them into the breeze. John's listeners probably had little trouble understand-
ing the parallel. But what of us today? What spiritual significance does this
statement have for us?
When we submit ourselves to the threshing floor of God's kingdom, the
winnowing fan of the inspired Word will separate us from:
 The chaff of ignorance: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to
my path" (Psalm 119:s).
The chaff of indolence: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to
God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly diviifing the word
oftruth" (2 Timothy 2:15)
The chaff of selfishness: "Brethren, i f a man is overtaken in any tres-
pass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentlene~s,con-
sidering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one ~znother'~ burdens, and
so fulfill the la^, of Christ" (Galatians 6: 1,2).
The chaff of hatred: ''If someone says, " I love God, and hates his
brother, he is a liar; for he ~ z h odoes not love his brother whom he has seen,
how can he love God whom he has not seen: And this corninandrrlent vt?e
have from him: that he who loves God must love his brother also" (1 John
4:20,21).
The chaff of moral laxity: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are
true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things
are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if
there is any virtue and ifthere is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these
things " (Philippians 4:8).
The chaff of hopelessness: "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind,
be sober and rest your hopefully upon the grace that is to be brought to you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ" ( 1 Peter 1 :13).
The chaff of fear and uncertainty: " I hal3e fought the goodfight. I
have finished the race, I hat~ekept the faith. Finally, there is laid zip for me
tlze crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to
me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His
appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7,8).
Let us use the winnowing fan of God's Word to separate the chaff while
in this life, lest the Lord come and, with the winnowing fan of judgment,
separate us from life in God's eternal heaven. 9

Joe C. Magee preaches the Gospel of Christ in Carthage, Missouri, USA.

[SOW do you measure up?
good man
out of the good treasure of his heart
brings forth good things,
and an wil man
out of the wil treasure
brings forth evil things.

a u t 9 say to you that

for every idle word men may speak,
they will give account of it
in the day of judaent.
Tor by your words
you will be justified,
and by your words
you will be condemned.

12:85-87
 "Authority" means "power to
influence or command thought,
opinion, or behavior." For the
humans who believe in a benevolent
Creator it should be obvious that the
very highest authority or power
belongs to that Creator because He
is the one who owns every being
and every thing on the earth, by
right of creation. "In the beginning
God created the heavens and the
earth" (Genesis 1:I). "Then God
said, 'Let the earth bring forth liv-
ing creatures. .. ' " (Genesis 1 :24).
"And God created man " (Genesis
1:27).
God's Authority
When Christ was on the earth
He taught "as one having authori-
ty" (Matthew 7:29). And later, after
His resurrection, He did indeed
affirm that "all authority (Greek =
exousia) has been given to me in
heaven and on earth" (Matthew
28: 18). Jesus spoke elsewhere of
the authority He had "over all
mankind and said, as He spoke to
God, the Father: "Thou gavest" Me
"authority over all mankind" (John
17:2). Later Paul wrote that "God
is the head (Greek = kephale) of
Christ" and "Christ is the head
(Greek = kephale) of every man" (1
Corinthians 11:3). The term "head
as used here means "one who stands
over another in the sense of being
the ground of his being."
From the above passages it is
clear, even if one accepts them only
as valid historical documents, that
Christ and Paul believed in a hierar-
chy of authority, with God the
Father being at the top where "the
buck stops."
Christ's Authority
But likewise it is clear from the
above passages that the Father gave
"all authority" in "heaven and on
earth " to Jesus (Matthew 28: 18).
So at the point in time at which He
uttered the words under considera-
tion here, He already had absolute
authority, the absolute right to speak
and command.
 The Apostles' Authority authoritative. In fact, on one occa-
Immediately, after the above- sion, He said, "the Scripture cannot
quoted affirmation of Jesus that He be. broken" (John 10:35), thus con-
possessed all authority, He began firming that all books recognized as
using that authority to tell His disci- Scripture by the Jews were actually
ples to "Go therefore and make dis- from God. A bit later He made it
ciples of all the clear which
n a t i o n s ... " books He re-
(Matthew 28: 19). garded as being
He likewise told included in
them that He "Scripture":
would send upon "all things
them "the Spirit which are writ-
of Truth" (the ten about Me in
Holy Spirit) who the Law of Mo-
would "guide" ses, arld the
them "into all Prophets and
truth" (John [he Psalms
16: 13). A short must be ful-
time later the filled" (Luke
Spirit came upon 24:44). It is a
them and they recognized fact
"were all filled that these three
with the Holy categories in-
Spirit" (Acts 2:4). They therefore cluded all thirty-nine books which
went and preached and wrote epis- are today described as the Old Tes-
tles, as one of them said, with tament.
"authority tlre Lord gave" to them (2 But in addition to the above
Corinthians 10:8). thirty-nine books, Jesus, as noted
earlier, had promised that the
Authority of the promised Holy Spirit would "guide"
Writings of the apostles into "all truth. "
Inspired Apostles One of those apostles later
When Jesus was on the earth. wrote that God "has granted to 61s
He had confirmed that all of the everything pertaining to life and
writings of the thirty-nine books we godliness through the true knowl-
call the Old Testament carried the edge of Him who called us... " (2
approval of God, and were therefore Peter 1:3). In other words, that "all
truth" has been received. In fact,
just a few verses later he said, "the
truth" is "present with you" ( 2
Peter 1: 12). Likewise, another
apostle declared, "the things whictz
I write unto you are the Lord's com-
mmzdmerzt" (1 Corinthians 14:37).
Delegated Authority
"Delegated authority" refers to
authority by which one person is
"acting for another." From the
above reasoning it is clear that God
delegated authority to Christ, who,
in His turn, delegated authority to
His apostles to reveal His will for
us. No wonder. then, these apostles
clearly affirmed that to disobey their
writings would be equal to disobey-
ing "the Lord's commandment" (1
Corinthians 14:37).
God doesn't speak to us direct-
ly today, but He does speak through
His Son, Who in turn speaks
through the written Word of God.
That is why the apostle Paul told
Timothy that the way he [and all
who would come after him] must
deal with false doctrine in the future
of the Christian age would be to
"preach the word" (2 Timothy 4:2).
That "Word" which Paul had in
mind clearly included the Old
Testament that he had mentioned
just a few verses earlier (2 Timothy
3:15), as well as the New Testa-
ment which was being written at
that time through the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit: "all Scripture is
inspired by God" ( 2 Timothy 3: 16).
This "all Scripture" certainly
included the apostles' writings,
which as earlier noted, that same
apostle had affirmed were "the
Lord's" (1 Corinthians 14:37), and
therefore carried His authority.
Thus, since neither God nor Christ
any longer speak directly to us, the
written Word is our authority
base.
False Authority
Standards
In Jesus' day there were some
who held to teachings (or "tradi-
tions") which did not originate with
God. Concerning these, Jesus plain-
ly said, "In vain do they worship me
teaching as doctrines rtze precepts
of men" (Matthew 15:9). Just so,
today, we have those who dedicate a
certain kind of worship to Mary, or
baptize infants, or add instrumental
music to the singing commanded in
the New Testament. In order to jus-
tify their practices, such people
must go beyond the bounds of
Scripture authorized by God, thus
violating the clear commands in
Revelation 22: 18,19. They, there-
fore, worship "in vain.. . teaching as
doctrines the precepts of men." 9
Earl D. Edwards is Director of Grad-
uate Studies in Bible at Freed-
Hardeman University in Henderson,
Tennessee. USA.

Today's world has few con-
stants. One constant is change. It's
hard to comprehend the social, eco-
nomic, technical, and medical
change of the past 100 years, or
even the past 50 years. Every day
something else affecting hundreds
of millions of people changes - a
new way to communicate, a new
drug to cure disease, a new discov-
ery of some kind.
Changes are both good and bad.
All create the need for continual
learning and education. In every
facet of life change requires con-
stant evaluation and refocusing.
Things that once were important are
no longer important or even relevant
to our lives.
What about change and the
Christian?
Christians must deal with
Wayne Barrier
change effectively. We must learn
to change some things, but always
to maintain our focus on the un-
changing priorities and goals of God
and of the church.
Consider Paul's statement in
Philippians 3: 12-21. He says, "Not
that I have already attained, or am
already perfected, but I press on,
that I may lay hold of that for which
Christ Jesus has also laid hold of
me.
" B r e t h r e n , 1 d o n o t count
myself to have apprehended; but
one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind and reach-
ing forward to those things which
are ahead, I press toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus.
"Therefore let us, as many as
are mature, have this mind, and if in
 anything you think otherwise, God is great and we must maintain our
will reveal even this to you. Never- focus and press forward if all are to
theless, to the degree that we have hear the message of hope. P
already attained, let us walk by the
same rule, let us be of the same Wayne Barrier works with the World
Evangelism program and lives i n
mind. Florence, Alabama, USA.
"Brethren, join in fol-
lowing my example, and note
those who so walk, as you
have us for a pattern. For
many walk, of whom I have
told you often, and now tell
you even weeping, that they
are the enemies of the cross
of Christ, whose end is
destruction, whose God is
their belly, and whose glory
is their shame - who set
their minds on earthly things.
"For our citizenship is
in heaven, from which we
also eagerly wait for the
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly
body that it may be con-
formed to His glorious body,
according to the working by
which He is able even to sub-
due all things to Himseg "
These inspired words
remind u s of our purpose,
eternal citizenship, mission,
attitude, standards of perfor-
mance, goals, and some major
distractions. Our world is
home to over 6 billion people
- most never having heard
the Gospel of Christ. Our task
 Who is a "Pastor"
&cording to the Scri~fures?
Francis David
In the New Testament, Paul,
Peter, Timothy and Titus were
evangelists and ministers of the
Gospel of Christ. Their work was
to preach and teach the message of
Jesus. Nowhere in the Bible do we
read that any one of them were
introduced at any time to any one as
"Pastor Paul" or "Pastor Titus".
There is much misunderstand-
ing today about the word "pastor".
The majority are misinformed about
this biblical use of this word.
People call any church leader a
"pastor", intending to show proper
respect to spiritual leaders.
However, if we sincerely exam-
ine the New Testament, we will find
that the word pastor is used to mean
"shepherd". Biblical pastors were
also called "elders", and "bishops"
(Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:l-3; Ephe-
sians 4:12). All of these names
were applied to one office in the
leadership of the church.
There is a great difference
between the work of a preacher and
the work of a pastor. Pastors are
spiritual shepherds whose work is to
oversee, or care for, the flock of
God (Hebrews 13:17). All elders or
pastors are to be preachers and
teachers of God's word, but not all
preachers are pastors!
There are many who feel hon-
ored to be called pastors or chief
pastor, chief elder or chief bishop.
In the scriptures nowhere do we
read these terms. Only Jesus our
Lord is worthy to be called Chief
Elder or Pastor.
Please open your Bible and
read 1 Timothy, chapter three. Here
we clearly see the qualifications of
and elder or pastor: "A bishop then
must be blameless, the husband of
one wife (must be a married man),
vigilant, sober, of good behavior
(not rude), given to hospitality, apt
to teach (good student of the Bible),
not given to wine, no striker, not
greedy of filthy lucre, but patient,
not a brawler, not covetous, one
that rules well his own house, hav-
ing his children in subjection with
all gravity (for if a man know not
how to rule his own house, how
shall he take care of the church of
God?). Not a novice (not a new
convert) lest being lifted up with
pride he fall into the condemnation
of the devil. Moreover he must have
a good report of them which are
without, lest he fall into reproach
and snare of the devil."
Titus 1 repeats the list of char-
acter traits a man must have if he is
to be considered for the office of
presbyter or pastor. If a person does
not have these qualities he is unfit
for the job and cannot be scriptural-
ly appointed as an elder in the
Lord's church.
The requirements concerning
marriage, believing children, and
not being a novice or a young con-
vert also establish the fact that an
elder is to be an older Christian -
older in age as well as in experi-
ence. A young man, therefore, can-
not be appointed as elder or pastor.
In contrast, an evangelist or
preacher can be a young man or an
old man. Timothy was a young
preacher. An elder or pastor must
know how to run his own house
(take care of his wife and children, 1
Timothy 3: 15). Age and experience
are essential for this job. All preach-
ers should prepare themselves for
this work. They must study well the
word of God and make themselves
good teachers of the Bible. They
must grow in the grace and knowl-
edge of our Lord Jesus Christ and
one day, with age and experience,
perhaps they will also be qualified to
be appointed as elders.
Another point about pastors or
elders is that the words are always
used in the plural form in the New
Testament, when speaking of "the
elders" [or bishops or pastors] of a
particular congregation, as in Acts
15:2; Acts 16:4; 1 Timothy 5:17;
Titus 15; 1 Peter 5: 1.
Though qualifying for the work
is vital, it must not be forgotten that
elders carry a tremendous responsi-
bility. They are instructed to "Feed
the flock of God which is among
you, taking the oversight thereof,
not by constraint, but willingly; not
for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
neither as being lords over God's
heritage but being ensamples to the
j7ock" (1 Peter 5:2,3).
Christians are commanded to
"Obey them that have the rule over
you, and submit yourselves: for
they watch for your souls, as they
that must give account, that they
may do it with joy, and not with
grie5.. " (Hebrews 13:17).
Are you a pastor? Do you pos-
sess these qualifications which we
have just seen in the scriptures? Do
you call yourself a pastor, elder or
chief bishop, even though you do
not meet these qualifications?
Please do not misuse this word. It is
not a "title", as such; it is an office
of work.
Where d o we stand in these
matters? f?
Francis David is a preacher of the
Gospel, living and working in New
Delhi, India.
 "God commendeth His love toward us in that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:s).
How horrible is the Bible pic-
ture of Hell! Many years ago I lis-
tened to a sermon delivered by one
of our outstanding preachers, based
on the biblical description of Hell.
It was not funny. It was designed to
make his audience "sit up and take
notice." It certainly got that
response from me and I feel confi-
dent that it had the same effect on
everyone in that large audience.
Hell is a place of darkness!
Hell is a place of fire! Hell is a
place of suffering and weeping
and gnashing of teeth! In Hell the
condemned will remember all the
events on earth they wish they could
forget - for example, the times
they ignored those who were trying
to teach and encourage them to
become Christians.
Hell is eternal - it will never
end! You can stay out of Hell by
obeying the Gospel, but if you once
get into Hell you will never get out!
Not a pretty picture! And remem-
ber, God painted that horrible pic-
ture and doubtless used such graph-
ic language so that it would be a
warning to everyone through the
ages (Matthew 13:42-50; 18:8,9;
8: 12; Jude 13; Luke 16:27-31;
Matthew 25:32; 2 Thessalonians
1:8.)
The Scriptures say clearly that
Hell is the ultimate destiny of all
unforgiven sinners (Romans 6:23.)
That raises the question, "What is
sin?'Also, "How does God regard
sin that He would prepare a place as
horrible and as horrifying as Hell, to
be the eternal lake of fiery punish-
ment for unforgiven sinners?"
Perhaps we should answer
these questions by noting first that
God's present attitude toward sin is
not new! In the beginning, in the
Garden of Eden, God promised
Adam and Eve that to eat the one
forbidden fruit would bring about
their death. Thousands of years
later we are all too well aware that
every word God said was true. In
the days of Noah the whole world
population - except for eight peo-
ple - was drowned in the Flood.
Why? Because of sin. And, as the
story continues on through the Old
Testament until the coming of
Christ, God's attitude toward sin
has never changed (Genesis 2: 17; 6-
8:14). Seeing the story of mankind
unfold, history surely has taught us
that God never fails to keep any
promise He ever makes.
The New Testament takes up
the story of God's relationship with
man, continuing to emphasize His
severe attitude toward sin. "Sin" it
says, "is the transgression of God's
law" (1 John 3:4; Romans 4: 15.)
Again it says, "He that knoweth to
do good and doeth it not, to him it is
sin" (James 4:17). Gets one to
thinking, doesn't it? How sinful is
sin? The New Testament actually
speaks of the "sinfulness of sin"
(Romans 7:13). It also points out
that the sacrificial blood of animals
has no power to "take away" sin,
that is, to cause the sinner to experi-
ence God's forgiveness (Hebrews
10:4). God continues to view sin as
the one factor that separates man
from Himself!
But, in this Christian Age, a
new event has been introduced into
the equation. "Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners," says
Paul (1 Timothy 1:15). "For God
so loved the world that he gave His
only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth on Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life" (John
3: 1 6 ) . Is this a "back-flip" on
God's part? Is He having "second
thoughts" about Hell? Not at all.
The advent of Jesus Christ as the
Savior of the world was a God-
planned event! Planned, in fact,
"before the foundation of the
world" (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter
1:18-20; Revelation 13:s). How
marvelous and how wonderful
His Love, that He should go to
these extreme measures - giving
His "Only begotten Son" as the
only qualifying and suitable sacri-
fice to keep sinful man out of
Hell!
And that brings forward yet
another thought, raised in the
Hebrews Letter. The writer, by
Heavenly inspiration says, "He that
despised Moses' law died without
mercy under two or three witnesses:
Of how much sorer punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought wor-
thy, who hath trodden under foot the
Son of God, and hath counted the
blood of the covenant, wherewith he
was sanctijied an unholy thing, and
hath done despite unto the Spirit of
grace?" (Hebrews 10:28,29). No
wonder we are reminded immedi-
ately, "It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the Living God."
For vengeance, indeed, belongs
rightfully to Him (verses 30,31)!
Yet, think of it. "The wages of
sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Hell
remains more horrible than we can
imagine! And, God so loved us all,
that "While we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us" (Romans 5:s).
The question is, "By our man-
ner of life, which do we choose for
ourselves: God's righteous judg-
ment or His great love?" Q
Allan E. Flaxman is a gospel preacher
in New South Wales, Australia.
I I B Warned
~ I
The following passages in the
Holy Bible tell us that man's feeling
are often deceitful:
"There is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end there-
of are the ways of death" (Proverbs
14:12).
"He that trusteth in his own
heart is a fool" (Proverbs 28:26).
"0Lord, I know that the way of
man is not in himself- it is not in
man that walketh to direct His
steps" (Jeremiah 10:23).
"The heart is deceitful above
all things" (Jeremiah 17:9). James
A. Harding, one of the greatest
gospel preachers since the days of
the apostles, has well said:
"When a man trusts his feelings
for his knowledge of pardon, without
properly weighing the testimony of
God's Spirit in God's Word, there is
no telling to what he will drift. The
40
religion of feeling leads to all sorts
of fanaticism and folly, to every
degree of cruelty and crime.
"Your feelings depend upon
your faith, and the stronger the faith
the more intense the feeling, and
that, too, whether your faith be well
founded or not. The belief of a lie
will affect your feelings just as
much as the belief of the truth, as
many of you well know."
By the Book of God we are
made wise unto salvation (John
5:39; 2 Timothy 3: 15). The
Scriptures are inspired by the Holy
Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13). When
we, from the heart, do the will of
God revealed in the Bible by the
Holy Spirit, we know that we are
children of God, and in no other
way can we know that we know
God; for "hereby we do know that
we know him, if we keep His com-
mandments" ( 1 John 2:3). "And
this is life eternal, that they might
know thee, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent"
(John 17:3).
Our feelings are competent to
testify as to things which take place in
us, but they cannot testify as to what
takes place in the mind of God. All
we know about the mind of God is
what the Holy Spirit has revealed:
"For what man knoweth the things of
a man, save the spirit of man which is
in him? even so the things of God
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God" (1 Corinthians 2:11).
Pardon takes place, not in man,
but in the mind of God. The Holy
Spirit in the New Testament tells us
what God requires us to d o to
become His children. When our
spirits are conscious (aware) of the
fact that we have done what God
has revealed in His Word through
the Holy Spirit that we must do to
become His children, "The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spir-
it, that we are the children of God"
(Romans 8: 16).
Our Lord Jesus Christ, "the
author of eternal salvation unto all
them that obey Him" (Hebrews
5:8,9), unequivocally says: "Not
every one that sayest unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven: but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven"
(Matthew 7:21). V
G. F. Raines is a writer and preacher
living in Celina, Tennessee, USA.

IF
IF Christ stood before you right now and said,"He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved", what would you do??
IF The Lord promises us salvation without baptism, why did Peter
say it saves (1 Peter 3:21)?
IF Sprinkling and pouring are scriptural baptism, why did Paul say
there is ONE baptism (Ephesians 4:5; Colossians 2:12)?
IF We can have remission without baptism, why did Peter say bap-
tism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38)?
IF We get into Christ without baptism, why did Paul say we are bap-
tized into Christ (Galatians 3:27)?
IF We get into the body of Christ without baptism, why did Paul say
we are baptized into the body (1 Corinthians 12:13)? The body and
the church are the same (Colossians 1:18).
IF Jesus Christ grasped your hand and said, "If ye love me, ye will
keep My commandments", would you love and obey Him???
 1. After Stephen's death, "devout men

- - -- " (V. 2).

2. What happened as a result of the persecution
at followed? (V. 1).

, , and-
-- --

4. When Christians were scattered by the persecution, what did they do?

5. Where did Philip (one of the seven appointed in chapter 6) go and

what did he do? (V. 5,6).
6. "But when they Philip as he preached the things con-
--and -- --
, both men and women were " (V. 12).

7. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard about the converts in

Samaria, what did they do? (V. 14-17).
8. To whom was Philip called to preach next? (V. 27).
9. When Philip asked the eunuch if he understood what he was read-
ing, what did he answer? (V. 31).
10. What Old Testament passage was he reading? (V. 32,33).
11. What did Philip answer concerning the passage? (V. 35).
12. What response did the eunuch make? (V. 36).
13. How did Philip answer him? (V. 37).
14. "So he to stand still. And both
and the went down into , and he
himN (V. 38).
15. What happened when they came up out of the water? (V. 39,40).
[See inside of back cover for answers.]
 Hershel Dyer
In this world of so many differing faiths and practices, all claiming
Christ as their Savior, a restoration to God's way must be diligently
preached. Were the prophets and apostles of Scripture living, they would be
pressing for massive reforms by those who claim Christ as their Lord. They
would be interested in no compromise with those doctrines or practices
which are untaught in their own Spirit-inspired writings.
We are witnessing in the church today one of the saddest losses of the
prophetic, apostolic vision. Rather than helping preachers and others who
are astray, some of our preachers are compromising and sacrificing truth to
ingratiate themselves with these misled groups. Their proffered fellowship
with those in error hinders others of us who are striving to lead souls into the
way of truth and righteousness. It can only bring the wrath of God upon all
who thus "hinder the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1 :18).
We wish that those who compromise for worldly advantage could have
the attitude of C.H. Spurgeon, the renowned London preacher, who declared
in a sermon long ago:
"Everywhere, in all sects, I see inventions of men arrogating the
place of the commandments of God. Let us sweep our temples,
and return unto the Word of the Lord. Say not that ye believe the
Book when you act as though it were not true - Will they believe
it? Will they practice it? Will they abide by the standard?"
- From the sermon: Nominal Christians -Real Infidels.
The standard has never changed. It continues to be the Bible, God's
inspired word. It must be our guide and our law. B
Hershel Dyer preaches for the 10th & Rockford congregation in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, USA.
43
 John Thiesen
Ever since the
fall of Adam and
Eve in the Gar-
den of Eden,
mankind has
created the
need for a
A priest is a 1
mediator who stands between God
and sinners. His job, from the earli-
est times, has been to offer up sacri-
fices to God in order to make propi-
tiation for sinners and to pray on
their behalf to God. For example,
Moses' brother Aaron was a priest.
Every year, when offering up the
sacrificial atonement animals both
for himself and for all Israel, he laid
his hands on the scapegoat and con-
fessed all the sins of Israel before
releasing it to carry the iniquity of
the nation into the wilderness
(Leviticus 16:21). No one could
take this priestly
authority to him-
God for the
purpose.
I his sons were set
aside for this holy work. It was
important that the priest be a merciful
person in order properly to approach
God on behalf of others.
Even before God set up the
Israelite nation, he had priests oper-
ating in the world. Melchizedec, for
example, who came out to bless
Abraham following his victory over
the kings, was called "the priest of
the most high God" (Genesis
14:18). During that same pre-law
period, Moses' father-in-law was
known as "the priest of Midian" and
offered sacrifices t o God with
Moses, suggesting he may have
been a priest authorized by God
(Exodus 3:ll; 18:12).
eaea ParnmTttooD TODAY
Our High Priest today is Jesus
Christ the Son of God, "set on the
right hand of the throne of tlze
Majesty in tlze heavens" (Hebrews
8:l). At God's right hand, "he is
able also to save them to the utter-
most that come unto God by him,
seeing he ever livetli to make inter-
cession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
The sacrifice He offered for our sins
was His own blood on the cross.
This supreme sacrifice of Himself
supersedes all previous sacrifices
offered in the world, which were
only a shadow of His. "For by one
offering he hath perfected for ever
them that are sanctified'' (Hebrews
10:14).
Under Christ their High Priest,
all Christians function as sub-
priests, "an holy priesthood, to offer
up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ" ( 1 Peter 25).
These spiritual sacrifices consist of:
( I ) praise and thanks of our lips; (2)
doing good to others; (3) sharing
with those in need (Hebrews
13:15,16); and making intercession
by prayer for all people and authori-
ties (1 Timothy 2: 1,2). 2 will praise thee: thou art my
John Thiesen was formerly a mission-
ary to Malawi, and he now preaches
for the Lord's church in Buffalo,
Missouri, USA.
TEN THOUGHTS
TO START THE DAY
(From Psalms 1 16 and 1 18)
1. This is the day the Lord
hath made; we will rejoice
and be glad in it.
2. 1 will praise thee: for
thou hast heard me, and art
become my salvation.
3. The Lord is on my side; I
will not fear; what can man
do unto me?
4. The Lord is my strength
and song, and is become my
salvation.
5. 1 love the Lord, because
he hath heard my voice and
my supplications.
6. Because he hath in-
clined his ear unto me, there-
fore will I call upon him as
long as I live.
7 . 1 will walk before the
Lord in the land of the living.
8. 1 will pay my vows unto
the Lord now in the presence
of all his people.
9. Precious in the sight of
the Lord is the death of his
saints.
10. Thou art my God, and I
God, I will exalt thee.
-Jim Moffett
 the Lord intended there to be leaders
,and followers. Followers are many.
Leaders are few. Effective leaders are even fewer.
Poor leadership has always been a hindrance to God's people. King
Saul commanded his army to fast, and as a result, they became too weak to
fight (2 Samuel 14:26,27). Jesus said the Jewish leaders were "blind
guides" (Matthew 23:16,17). Diotrephes was a leader not to be followed (3
John 9-1 1).
Effective leaders have always been in demand. Moses asked Jethro to
be his eyes in the desert (Numbers 10:31). He later prayed for a man to
replace him as leader. "Let the Lord. ..set a man over the congregation, who
may go out before them and go in before them,

These are perilous times for the Lord's people.

' leaders seem to be diminishing in number. The

writer of 2 Chronicles 12:32 spoke of the "chil-

man is the preacher

Center Street con-

&% -Jack Harrlman

 The Paradox of the ChurchHardeman Nichols
When a congregation is estab-
lished according to the divine pat-
tern of the New Testament, it is
composed of elements of perfec-
tion and of imperfection. Since it
is a divine institution, it deserves
respect and appreciation. Every-
thing that such a church is and does,
as authorized of God, is divine.
God's part is perfect. He has
designed a perfect plan of salvation
and a perfect system of worship (2
Timothy 3:16,17). The Bible is its
only guide, is "the perfect law of
liberty" (James 1:25). The church
has a perfect Savior who holds
before us His perfect life for our
goal, saying, "Follow Me" (Mat-
thew 16:24).
But here is the paradox. Man is
not perfect, nor does he perfectly fol-
low the Lord. The human element
in the church is as imperfect as its
members. The church would have
been an imperfect institution if it had
been designed only for perfect peo-
ple! It would have no members at
all, "For there is not a just man
upon the earth, that doeth good, and
sinneth not" (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
T h e church's perfection is
retained by the way it deals with our
imperfections. It does not overlook
sin, but believes the grace of God is
perfect in dealing with it. And it
must distinguish between the peni-
tent and the rebellious, between the
humble, weak and willful reprobate.
God now "commandeth all men
everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).
The church believes that Christ
promises pardon for all imperfect
beings who, in godly sorrow for their
sins, penitently seek mercy and for-
giveness. His invitation is to imper-
fect men. When one repents and is
baptized, Jesus forgives his sins and
adds him to His church (Acts 2:38,
47). Covered by the blood of Christ,
the penitent and faithful Christian is
perfect before His God, as he walks
in the light (1 John 1:7).
The church offers strength to
help us in our weaknesses, courage
when we are fainthearted, comfort
when we are sad, and "joy unspeak-
able and full of glory"(1 Peter 1:3),
along the way. Its call is to all men
to come and be saved. Its God-
ordained teachings and services
restore lost humanity back to God.
Thanks be unto God for His perfect
church and its wondrous benefits to
imperfect men. P
Hardeman Nichols is an evangelist
and lives in Dallas, Texas, USA.
 Just whose day IS ~ t anyway?
, - -
Don't you believe the Lord's Day
ought to be given back to the Lord?
Sunday should be more than
another busy, pleasure-filled, week-
end play day. It ought to be more
than another excuse for sleeping late
and lounging about the house. It
must be seen as more than another
opportunity to water the grass or
wash the family car.
Sunday, the first day of the
week, is special. It is the Lord's
Day - a day for worship.
The apostle Paul tarried seven
days in Troas, until "the first day of
the week," when he met with the
saints of that city in worship (Acts
20:6,7). John, "the disciple whom
Jesus loved, " wrote, " I was in the
Spirit on the Lord's Day" (Revela-
tion 1:lO). And is it any wonder
why? Our Lord arose from the dead
on the first day of the week. The
church was established on Pentecost
Day, the first day of the week.
This day, the Lord's Day, is more
than ordinary. It is special.
Justin Martyr, one of the recog-
nized historians of the early church,
wrote near the beginning of the sec-
ond century, "On Sunday a meeting
is held of all who live in the cities
and villages.. .they rise together and
send up prayers."
Early disciples faced terrible
persecution in gathering together for
worship on the Lord's Day, yet they
assembled and worshipped in spite
of their adversities. According to
John Fox, in his Book of Martyrs,
many early Christians: were burnt
alive, others were dragged by their
feet through the streets naked until
they expired; some were scalded to
death, many were stoned, and a
great number had their brains beaten
out with clubs. Nero is said to have
dressed Christians in shirts made
stiff with wax, fixed them to axle-
trees, and then set them on fire to
light up his gardens at night.
And what of us? We have great
difficulty convincing more modern
saints, with no fear of physical
oppression, to drive the new car
down a four-lane, paved highway to
a comfortable, climate-controlled
building.
By the way, what will you be
doing this Sunday? Q
Dalton Key is the editor of Old Paths
and preaches for the church in Ama-
rillo, Texas, USA.
and action. If the "preacher" is espe-
cially entertaining or the male and
female choral leaders are especially
enthusiastic, the audience may
encourage them with applause. It's a
show. True worship, however, is
never for show (Matthew 6: 1-18).
As fads come and fads go, true
worshippers will continue to honor
God through biblical expressions of
worship; in song, prayer, commu-
nion, sermon, and giving. Worship
will be orderly, God-centered, and
will not resemble television talk
shows or rock concerts. Worship
should reflect Bible guidelines, not
Madison Avenue hype.
Christianity is not a fad. It is the
two thousand year-old covenant
between God and man. Let's not
desecrate what is holy by patterning
our worship after the fads of the day.
Instead, let's continue to worship
God as Jesus and His apostles taught,
in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). P
Rick Cunningham is the preacher for
the 14th & Main St. Church of Christ in
Big Spring, Texas, USA.
 It is no secret that worship styles
are the big issue in churches of
Christ. It seems that agendas
abound. On the one hand, there is
selfish desire on the part of some to
do what is right in their own eyes;
on the other, there is the fear that
any adjustment is a challenge to the
"way we have always done it."
Worship should lift our spirits to
the heavens. Often, however, it
either bores us to tears, or brings
about upset and heartbreak.
There is another way. We can
still approach God in a manner that
pleases Him, and uplifts us all. The
Bible lays down two principles that
must affect the worship of those
whose top priority is to please Him.
I.wo?sAipis @orcr(kctd
orc @o1's7wqs
"Let us be thankful and so worship
God accordingly with reverence and
awe, for 'Our God is a consuming
fire"' (Hebrews 12:28,29).
If God takes the trouble to in-
struct us in an aspect of worship, that
ends the debate there and then! This
affects our worship in song
(Colossians 3:16), who it is that leads
worship in the assembly (1 Timothy
2: 1 1,12), when we are to partake of
the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7), and
other subjects. The God who formed
our hearts knows what those hearts
need; the child of God will humbly
and willingly oblige. If this criterion
is not met, no other will suffice!
2. W~osrUph s t BdCd
"When you come together...all of
these must be done for the strength-
ening (edification) of the church"
(Corinthians 14:26).
Once (and only then) we have
established that a worship practice
is Biblical, we can ask how it
affects humans. The Bible draws
from the language of construction to
express this thought. As a preacher,
it fascinates me that people expect a
sermon to be well prepared and
thoughtful (and so they should), but
that other aspects of worship can be
hap-hazard and "off the top of the
head." When it corites to serving
God and His people, there is no
such thing as being over prepared!
I think the Lord deserves better than
a song leader tossing the hymn book
to his family on the way to church
and saying. "Choose a couple of
songs, will you? I forgot I was sup-
posed to lead singing." What we
-
often think of as spontaneous is
often nothing more than unprepared,
and results in a worship service that
is about as deep as a birdbath.
The question is not what will
produce the most credits, but what
will please the Creator. Worship is
not production, it is petition. It is
not measured by the world's stan-
dards; it brings us, heart and mind,
up to the Lord's standards.
There should be only one agen-
da in worship. God's. Q
Stan Mitchell works with the Lord's
church in Borger, Texas, USA.

They Were Shocked

The treasurer of a local congregation was disgusted and resigned. The
church asked another person to take the position. He managed a local grain
elevator. He agreed to take the position on two conditions. One, that no
report from the treasurer be given for a whole year, and two, that no one ask
him any questions concerning the finances of the church during that time.
The church members gulped, but finally agreed, since he was a very trust-
worthy man in the community, and well known because most of them did
business with him at the elevator.
At the end of the year he gave a report as follows: "The indebtedness
of $250,000 on the building had been paid, the minister's salary had been
sharply increased, the mission work of that congregation raised by 200%
and all outstanding bills retired. Besides a rather large cash balance on hand
of some $1200, a building fund had been established and money set aside
for renovating the auditorium."
The congregation was shocked. They could not account for it and
immediately asked for an explanation. Quietly the treasurer answered,
"Most of you bring your grain to my elevator. As you did business with me,
I simply withheld ten percent on your behalf and gave it to the church in
your name. You never missed it." - Selected
 Bringing Together
fhe Oreaf Commandment:

and fhe Oresf Commission:

A great deal of research been done relative to church growth and love.
The following are some of the things that were learned:
d Most people rated the love they received from church members to be on-
ly slightly above what they received from a casual associate or neighbor.
d Visitors received significantly less love than even the members.
d Only about 70% felt loved by the preacher.
d In one study, 26 religious groups were surveyed as to how loving the
church was. Those that rated highest in saying to fellow members "I
love you" and demonstrating love for each other had an approximate
50% increase in attendance in the 10 years previous lo this study.
d A study of 168 congregations that had a 5%-10% growth rate in five
years showed that 90% felt loved by the preacher.
d In the same study. the churches with the highest growth rates showed a
higher percentage of love felt by fellow church members, as well as
higher in love given to other church members, visitors and community.
The faster growing churches also highly rated the love they received
 from Sunday school classes andlor "care groups", and they highly rated
hugging andlor touching as a way of expressing love.
Love - a motivational and compassionate love - is to be the supreme
characteristic of a Christian. Paul said, "Tlzouglz Z speak wit12 the tongues of
angels, but have not love, I become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
And though I have the gifr of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and though I have all faith, so thut I could remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed
the poor, and though I give nzy body to be burned, but have not love, it prof-
its me nothing " ( 1 Corinthians 13: 1-4).
Jesus explained, in answer to the questioning of the scribes concerning
the greatest commandment of the law: "The first of all the comnzandments
is 'Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Atrd you shall love
the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
mind, and with all your strength. ' This is the j h t commandment. And the
second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yoursel$' There is
no other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:29,30).
The first and greatest commandment involves love for God with all of
one's heart, mind, soul and strength. This refers to the whole man. The love
of God produces obedience to His commandments, and when combined
with love of one's neighbor, it will result in obedience to the great com-
mission, thus going and teaching the gospel (Matthew 28: 18-20).
In this study we want to see that the many situations in the church
which require personal visitation and soul winning are, in reality, acts of
love. They cannot be reduced simply to "duty".

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John
3:16). This verse has been called the golden text of the Bible. It glows with
the flame of divine love for a world of lost souls.
After demonstrating His concern for Zacchaeus, a man in need of a sav-
ior, Jesus said, "For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which
was lost" (Luke 19:10).
Jesus illustrated the value of one soul in the parables of the lost sheep,
lost coin and lost son (cf. Luke 15). The concern that was felt because of
the loss and the joy felt when that which had been lost was found shows the
love God has for lost men.
Jesus selected His apostles, and they traveled among the Jews, preach-
ing and teaching, seeking the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Compassion
was behind every act. Love and con~passionare the motivating forces that
cause men to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, doing the work He did.

Jesus showed compassion for the:

Lost. "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compas-
sion ,for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having
no shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). He grieved over the city of Jerusalem. In
Matthew 23:37 He said, " 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, The orze who kills the
prophets and stones tlzose who are sent to her! How often I wanted to
gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, but yo11 were not willing!"
Sick. "And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He
was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick" (Matthew
14:14).
Hungry. "Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, ' I
have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued
with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send
them away hungry lest they faint on the way'" (Matthew 15:32).
Blind. "So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And imme-
diately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him" (Matthew
20:34).
Bereaved. When He saw the only son of a widow being taken for
burial, He raised him from the dead, "...He had compassion on her and
said unto her, Do not weep...so he that ~ j a sdead sat up and began to
speak. And He presented him to his mother" (Luke 7 :13,15).
All who had physical and spiritual needs. "The blind see and the
lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear: the dead are
 raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Matthew
115).
Love manifested itself in the form of compassion for others. Someone
has described love as "intentionally doing something caring or helpful for
another person, in Jesus' name, regardless of the consequences to oneself."
The love of God for the human family was being revealed through His
Son. Jesus would demonstrate this to those whom He trained. They would
then be a model to all those they would teach.

The way the disciples loved each other would be a factor in others
believing in Christ. Jesus prayed that they might be one, as He and God
were one, so that the world would believe (John 17:21). The apostles' love
for each other would set them apart from the world. Jesus said, "By this all
will know tizat you are lily disciples, ifyou have love for one another" (John
13:35).
The disciples were to love each other as Christ had loved them. He had
given them an example, and their success was based upon how well they
followed Him. They were to be living demonstrations of what the children
of God were to be like. They would be known and read of all men, as Paul
later wrote of Christians: "You are our epistle written in our hearts, known
and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ininistered by us,
written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of
stone but on tablets ofjleslz, that is, of the hectrt" (2 Corinthians 3:2,3).
While the Jews disputed about which was the greatest commandment,
Jesus made the order of importance clear. He said, "...You shall love the
Lord your God ~ i t all h your heart, with all your soul, and with all Four
mind. This is the first and great comtnandment. And the second is like it:
Yozr shall love yoitr neighbor as yourself'" (Matthew 22:37-39).
After Jesus' resurrection, He asked Peter about his love for Him. Peter
had been a fisherman. Would he go back to his former life and quit fishing
for men when Christ had ascended to the Father? After eating breakfast
with Peter and other disciples, Jesus said to him, "... 'Simon, son of Jonah,
do you love Me iizore tllan these?' He said to Hint, 'Yes, Lord; You know
that I love You.' He said to hinz, 'Feed my lrrmbs. ' He said to him again a
55
second time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' He said to Him, 'Yes,
Lord; YOUh o w that I love You.' He said to him, 'Tend My sheep.' He said
to hinz the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' Peter was
grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he
said to Hiin, 'Lord, You know- all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus
said to him, 'Feed My sheep'" (John 21 : 15-17).
The proof of Peter's love for Christ would be his doing the will of
Christ. James admonished Christians, "...Show me your faith without your
works, and I will show you my faith by rnv works " (James 2: 18).

The Great Commission.

Jesus was born, grew, wept, toiled, suffered, died, arose, ascended,
inte~cedes,and is coming again that he might save that which was lost (Luke
19:10). Everything He did, and does, is evidence of His great love for
humanity.
Ten days after His resurrection and just before ascending to the father
Jesus issued His most far-reaching command. He said, "...All authority has
been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing tlzenz in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have com-
manded you: and lo, I om with you trlway.~,even to the end of the age"
(Matthew 38: 18-20).
We cannot separate love for God from 1o1.efor lost souls, as seen in the
example of the apostles and the early church.

Forty days after Jesus' ascension to heaven, on the day of Pentecost, the
Holy Spirit came upon the apostles to bring to their remembrance what
Jesus had taught them and to guide them into all truth. On that very day
some 3,000 souls obeyed the Gospel and were added to the believers. This
was the beginning of the church.
Those who became Christians now knew that Jesus was the long await-
ed Messiah. Their happiness and love for God and for man are seen in
Luke's description of the early Christians in Acts 2:46,47; 5:42. "So contin-
uing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to
house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising
God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved ...And daily in the temple, and in every
house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."
In Acts 4:4 the number of men who had obeyed the Gospel had reached
5,000. It has been estimated that there were probably 10,000-15,000
Christians by this time. The number was growing daily because the early
disciples were practicing the love that Christ had taught them by His life and
His death.
We cannot separate love for God from love for man. We cannot sepa-
rate love for God from love for lost souls, as seen in the example of the early
church. Their love for each other included physical assistance for those
Christians in need (Acts 6), and a spiritual outreach for the lost souls around
them. Paul said, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all,
especially to those who are of the household of faith " (Galatians 6: 10). Q
Clayton Pepper, long-time promoter of church growth, works with Restoration
Network International in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
 7 nglish Christians were among those who
glimmered like gold during fiery persecutions
u o f the sixteenth century. Law abiding men
and women were brutally executed for no other crime
than being faithful members of the Lord's church.
Devoted confidant and courtier of Elizabeth 1,
Sir Francis Walsingham, joined the leagues of ene-
mies of the Lord's church. His hatred of faithful
Christians stemmed from immoral behaviour of con-
tinental cults sharing the title of Anabaptists.

The Anabaptists proclaimed against infant bap-

tism, thus undermining the already stressed
Protestant faith, which had Queen Elizabeth as head.
There were deliberate false allegations that all
Anabaptists had connections with the Munster rising,
in Germany. This group had the reputation of forcing
membership on people, practising polygamy, and
also the sharing of all possessions (The identity of Anabaptist was in this
time period a term of derision, aimed at many different groups).
To an insecure monarch and her advisers Anabaptists were viewed as
left wing and anarchistic. At a time of unstable government any moves that
undermined the Queen's church or state were hastily destroyed.
The sixteenth century was a time when kings and queens assumed
absolute power. The affairs of church and state were intermingled. This
was also a terrible time of plotting and conspiracy, with the establishment of
the infant Protestant church. Tides of Catholicism swept back and forth,
with wars being fought in Europe. The Scots were forming alliances with
France to invade England. The Welsh population regarded the new queen
with distaste, and Ireland hoped to negotiate with Spain to allow access to
England through their ports.
Catholics and Protestant religions shared the false doctrine of Original
Sin, enforcing the need of infant
membership of the state church for
Salvation. This ensured the ruling
monarch, head of the church, with
absolute control. This when cou-
pled with the new Calvinist doc-
trine, meaning you could do nothing
to lose your Salvation, was very
alluring to an autocratic society.
In contrast, the offensive Lord's
church taught "free will" and indi-
vidual responsibility. They also
taught that salvation came through
Christ Jesus, into whose body obe-
dient souls were baptised. Its con-
duct proclaimed against clergy
within the church, and thus pro-
voked hatred from those who chose
to remain in error.
In October 1538 there was a
commission sent to Cranmer,
Stokesly, and Sampson to inquire
after all Anabaptists and to proceed
against them.
In 1549 Bishop Burnet warned;
"There are many Anabaptists in sev-
era1 parts of England who say that
'infant baptism is no baptism"'. In
1587 Dr Some also declared that
there were several Anabaptist con-
gregations in London and other
places.
In his book, Believers Baptism
from Heaven and of Divine
Institution, published 1691,
Hercules Collins who was a minis-
ter of Wapping church of Christ
said that England did not receive
59
baptism from the Baptists, originat-
ing from Smith, as it was prevalent
before that time.
Sir Francis Walsingham con-
firmed this when he was recorded as
saying, "It was in the year 1381 that
that damnable heretic, John Wi-
cliffe, reassumed the cursed opin-
ions of Berengarius."
Who was this "Berengarius"?
When did he live and what did he
do? He was born at Tours between
999 and 1010, and was educated in
the Roman Catholic church by
Bishop Fulbert of Chartres (died
1028). By 1030 Berengarius was
archdeacon and by 1047 was the
treasurer of Angers Cathedral. In
1047 however he wrote a treaty
against the Eucharist, denying the
material change of the elements. As
a result he was excommunicated by
Pope Leo IX in 1050, without being
heard in defence. Then, between
1059 and 1079 he was pressured
into subscribing to the doctrines he
loathed
Berengarius gradually fell out
of favour again however because of
his persistent debating with the
pope. After 1080 he retired to the
hermitage of St Come, on an island
three miles west of Tours.
Berengarius died a natural death, in
1088, with a questionable relation-
ship with the Roman Catholic
church.
Berengarius lived at a time
when it was possible to practice
New Testament Christianity under
the eyes of Catholicism without
attracting violent persecution. This
situation changed in subsequent
years to the extent that faithful
members of the Lord's church
would be convicted of heresy. Slow
and tortured deaths would follow.
Berengarius stood opposed to
the organised clergy, teaching what
was to become known as the 'uni-
versa1 priesthood of believers'. He
had rejected infant baptism, advo-
cating baptism by immersion for
repentant believers upon confession.
Berengarius was the last opponent
of Catholicism who argued not only
for a return to the New Testament
but who actually practised New
Testament Christianity inside the
Catholic Church. From that time
forward, with the increasingly dog-
matic view of the Catholic hierar-
chy, such men would face torture
and if they refused to recant, would
suffer a slow and torturous death.
The sixteenth century churches
of Christ survived best in the coun-
try villages, which was also where
the Roman Catholic churches were
most powerful in Protestant
England. But, in those settings,
suspicion brought accusations of
intrigue and treason. It was among
those citizens that the authorities
looked for heretics, and often those
of the true church found themselves
prosecuted and executed for practis-
ing New Testament Christianity.
In contrast, in many places the
newly developing Protestant church
continued its old Roman Catholic
practices, and became known as
"high church" within Anglican cir-
cles. Some of these high churches
still exist today.
In spite of persecution and terri-
ble opposition, the Lord's church
survived this winter in its history
and by the seventeenth century
greater religious freedom was estab-
lished in England. P
Keith Sisman worships with the
Church of Christ in Ramsey, England.
Having been given permission to use
the ancient Cambridge Library, he is
doing extensive research and writing
on the records he is finding concern-
ing the church in Europe, particularly
in England.
Christ. And no church can be rec-
ognized as a part of the body of
Christ unless it espouses the basic
principles of doctrine, organization
and worship. But, after meeting
those points, only God could say
who He will cover by His grace and
who has gone outside of what even
His grace can make acceptable.
If we had lived in the early days
of the American restoration move-
ment, we might have seen doctrinal
error still lurking in some congrega-
tions and preachers that we would
have felt raised a wall to our accep-
tance of them. If we today were put
back in the days of Milton or
Cromwell, or Wycliffe, or when
those small congregations of
Christians were grouped by the out-
side world with the Anabaptists, we
might draw a line that would shut
them out - or we might accept
them with some reservation. Or if
we were there to actually know all
the details, we might see that we
were truly of the same belief.
If we today were put back in the
first century, in the midst of the
problems the Jerusalem church was
facing, trying to hold to the truth of
the Gospel and at the same time try-
ing to function effectively in the
heartland of Judaism, we might feel
that they were compromising too
much and were not worthy to be
called the church of Christ. Or if we
were in Corinth, or among the
churches of Galatia, or in most of the
churches mentioned in Revelation,
we would probably feel compelled to
withhold our fellowship from them.
Yet, God identified them as His peo-
ple, and Paul and the other inspired
writers fellowshipped them.
By saying these things, I am
certainly not advocating compro-
mise of the truth. But I am saying
that the only scenario we can clearly
see and judge is the one in which
we live, with our present circum-
stances and knowledge. Only God
can judge what His grace can cover,
or did cover, among those of the
past who genuinely obeyed the
Gospel and were thereby made a
part of His church - however close
or far away they might have been in
various points of other doctrine, or
in the living of it.
But, if we believe the Scriptures
(and if we don't, what is the point of
the discussion anyway?) we must
affirm without any doubt that there
have always been Christians and
churches of Christ in the world since
its beginning on Pentecost, and that
there will continue to be a represen-
tation of Christ until He comes again.
We have God's word on that: "And
in the days of these kings the God of
heaven will set up a kingdom which
shall never be destroyed ...it shall
stand forever" (Daniel 2:44). "...call
His rzame Jesus. He will be great,
and will be called the Son of the
Highest; and the Lord God will give
Him the throne of His father David.
And He will reign over the house of
Jacob forever, and of His kingdom
there will be no end" (Luke 1:32).
The question was asked by
Christ, "...when the Son of Man
comes, will He really find faith on
the earth?" (Luke 1 8 : s ) . He
answered, Himself, "But as the days
of Noah were, so also will the com-
ing of the Son of Man &...Then two
men will be in the field: one will be
taken and the other left...Therefore
you also be ready, for the Son of
Man is coming at an hour when you
do not expect Him" (Matthew24:37,
40,44). And the promise: "But I do
not want you t o be ignorant,
brethren, concerning those who
have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow
as others who have no hope. For i f
we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so God will bring with
Him those who sleep in Jesus. For
this we say to you by the word of the
Lord, that we who are alive and
remain until the coming of the
Lord will by no means precede
those who are asleep.
" F o r the Lord Himself will
descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel, and
with the trumpet of God. And the
dead in Christ will rise first.
"Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. And thus we shall
always be with the Lord. Therefore
comfort one another with these
words" (1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18).
These verses tell us two things:
(1) that since the day of its begin-
ning in Jerusalem, the Lord's
church has not ceased to exist in this
world - not simply as "the seed in
the Word" because the church is
people - souls - not words; and
(2) that there has never been a time
when God has had no representation
of His people in this world (if so,
there would have been a time when
the Lord could not have returned,
because there would have been no
Christians alive to be caught up to
meet Him in the clouds!), and
there will never be such a time.
A thousand years from now
Christians may question whether any
congregations of the Lord's church
existed in the 21st century, because
what we are and what we are doing
are not making headlines in the
annals of "church history". Few
traces may remain of us then. But
we are here! And we will remain!
So it's not necessary to back-
track a lineage through the centuries.
But to do so, and to find evidences
of people with names, and churches
with locations, and histories of
events is a most interesting and
thrilling thing. Q
Betty Burton Choate is a Christian liv-
ing in Winona, Mississippi, USA.
 vangelism -
God has given us t h e
Gospel plan of salvation. If
we obey from the heart and
follow this plan, we will be
saved. W e must hear (Ro-
mans 10: 17), believe (Mark
16:15), repent (Acts 17:30),
confess (Romans 10:10), be
baptized (Acts 2:38), and live
faithfully until death (Rev-
elation 2: 10).
One of the best ways to serve God is to grow and mature in our
Christian life. In doing so, we will live the kind of life that is a good exam-
ple for others to follow (1 Corinthians 11: 1). Living the Christian life
means that we serve God faithfully in spirit and in truth, and that we let our
lights so shine among men that they will see our good works and glorify our
Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Part of the Christian life is developing a zeal for leading lost souls to Christ.
We will find that our love for God and our desire to serve Him will grow as we
diligently study His Word. Understanding that the Gospel is the power of God
unto salvation (Romans 1:16), we must prepare ourselves to lead others to Him.
So often the first step is the really difficult one. Our love and apprecia-
tion for what God has done for us must be so great that we are willing to take
that step. As we pray and study and work to teach another, we will find that
we, too, are growing spiritually. Soon soul winning is no longer a job, but a
way of life. We begin to watch for opportunities, looking forward to Bible
studies and leading others to Christ. We develop our skills and use our talents
to the fullest. This is Christianity in the true sense of the word: leading oth-
ers to a knowledge of God, as Christ taught when He was in the world.
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in
Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit
He prunes, that it may bear more fruit" (John 15:1,2). B
Dale Grissom is deeply committed to evangelism and works with the church of
Christ in Dexter, Missouri, USA.
Emphasis On Evangelism Clarence DeLoach
There is much agreement today
that we need a greater emphasis in
the church upon evangelism. I
know of no one who disagrees.
Evangelism is the life of the church,
the exercise which enables it to
thrive and grow.
Here are some observations
a b o u t evangelism in the New
Testament:
First, evangelism was never
limited to church assemblies. As a
matter of fact, it occurred least in
their church gatherings. The church
met as a body primarily for worship
and edification, then it scattered as
it did its evangelism. The idea of
the church gathering for evangelism
is our tradition. not New
huddle lasts long enough for the
players to hear and understand the
plays. Then comes the execution.
Through the week we run the plays,
then return Sunday after Sunday to
t h e huddle. Evangelism really
occurs when we leave the pews to
go out in the work place, to our
communities, to our world to con-
front, touch, and reach lost souls for
Christ. Every person made in the
image of God should be considered
as a soul for whom Jesus died.
Second, evangelism was al-
ways initiated by individual
Christians. It wasn't a matter of
unsaved folk tapping a Christian on
the shoulder and saying, "Please tell
 CHRISTIANITY
IN ACTION

me about the Savior." Sinners

did not initiate evangelism -
Christians did! Lost people have
never beaten a path to our door!
They're often not even aware that
they are lost. "How can they
believe on him of whom they have
not heard? " (Romans 10: 14).
Someone must confront and teach
- and that someone is the
Christian - one who has already
been touched and changed by the
Master. You must make the con-
tact.
Third, evangelism in the
New Testament was never a
matter of coercion or manipu-
lation. The soul-winners were
never coerced into doing it - it
was a natural outgrowth of their
faith and love. And sinners were
never manipulated in an effort to
lead them to salvation. They
were treated with tact and digni-
ty, respect and intelligence.
There was never any emotional
environment created. The mes-
sage presented brought conviction
to the heart (Romans 10:10).
The depth of the church is
determined by the quality of its
worship and instruction, but the
breadth of the church is seen in
its commitment to fellowship and
evangelism. 9
Clarence DeLoach preaches for the
Walnut Street Church of Christ in
Dickson, Tennessee, USA.
 Albert Gardner
The home is under attack from many sources.
Our society is running at white-hot full speed.
Materialism and jobs, education with evolution and its
anti-Bible view, government recognition and support
of homosexuals and abortion instead of supporting and
reinforcing the home as God would have it - these
factors are weakening the home and tearing it apart.
There are four terrible "D's" in this world. Death
is inevitable. Drink, desertion, and divorce are mat-
ters of human choice. They bring hurt feelings, broken
lives, shattered dreams, financial distress, emotional
scars, and spiritual reverses. In this study we will
focus on the fourth "DM,divorce, which is one of the
most critical problems facing the world today.

67
 1) One who has never been mar-
ried, who is physically fit and
mentally alert (Hebrews 13:4).
2) One whose companion is
dead (Romans 7:2,3).
3) One whose companion has
committed fornication and has.
thus, broken their marriage
(Matthew 19:9).
According to Jesus' conclusion
in Matthew 19: 12, people can get
themselves into situations where the
only way to live right is to live a sin-
gle life. I have pity and sympathy for
those people, but it would not be fair
to them to build our discussion on
emotions. Our thinking and our con-
clusion must be based solely on that
which will judge us in the last day -
the written word of God.
From the beginning God in-
tended that one man and one woman
should live together until they are
parted by death. When people
marry, they should understand that it
is a permanent relationship and that
divorce is not an option.
Will there be problems? O f
course! There are no perfect homes
because there are no perfect people,
but any problem can be solved if
both parties want to find a solution.
Robert Wingfield tells of a sur-
vey of 730 marriage counselors who
revealed the ten most common mar-
ital problems. They are given in the
order of frequency.
1. A breakdown in communica-
68
tion
2. The loss of shared goals or
interests
3. Sexual incompatibility
4. Infidelity
5. The absence of excitement
and fun in the marriage
6. Money
7. Conflicts about children
8. Alcohol and drug abuse
9. Women's equality issues
10. In-laws
People of Jesus' day came to
Him and asked, "Is it luwfcrl ,fir a
marl to put away his wzfe for every
ca~rse?" Their question had to do
with God's law, as given by Moses.
In our time. civil divorce is granted
for nearly any cause; in fact, even
"no fault" divorce is possible!
In Jesus' answer He went back
to the beginning of the home to
show how God had intended it to be
between a man and his wife. "Have
ye not read. thut he which made
them at tlze beginning made them
male and female, And said, For this
cause shall a man lea~lefather and
mother, and shall cleave to his wife:
and they hvain shall he one jle.rh?
Wherefore they are no more twain,
but one ,fl~sh. Wllat therefore God
hath joined together, let not man put
asultder" (Matthew 19:4-6).
Though Moses allowed divorce
because of the hardness of their
hearts, ')5-orntlre hegiilrzing it was
not so. " But, then, Jesus gave the
one cause for divorce which allows
remarriage: "Whosoever shall put
away his wife, except it be for forni-
cation. and shall marry another,
committeth adultery: and whoso
marrieth her which is put away doth
commit adultery" (Matthew 19:9).
It should be noticed that if a person
marries someone who has been
divorced because of fornication, that
person commits adultery. This
shows us that the guilty party has
forfeited the right in the sight of
God to remarry.
People often reason that they
were young when they married and
divorced, and that they didn't know
any better, but does this excuse
them? There is no Scripture that
says that God has one rule for the
young and unknowing and another
rule for the mature people. Neither
youth nor ignorance nor sincerity
ever change error into truth. If one
takes a wrong turn as he travels,
what must he do? Continue on the
same road because he didn't know
any better? Sincerity and common
sense require one to return to the
right road if he wants to reach his
intended destination.
God has made His will available
for the world through the pages of
His written word, the Bible. He has
provided the laws and the guidance.
It is the responsibility of humans,
then, to learn what God requires of
us. The salvation of our souls is per-
sonal but God's law concerning sal-
vation does not differ from one soul
to another. There are no individual
rules. That fact must be first and
uppermost in our minds on every
point of our relationship with God.
Literally, we will be judged on
that Great Day, based on what we
have done in our bodies whether it
is good or bad (Revelation 20:12).
We will be judged according to the
way we have kept God's word -
and that includes His laws concern-
ing marriage and divorce. Satan has
sold people a bill of goods, by get-
ting them to think they can make
their rules as they go, rather than
follow the plan of God - and then
they expect God to bend His will to
accept the rules they devised!
Summary: Marry right, and
marry only once. Work out the
problems and stay together for the
s a m e reasons that brought you
together in the first place.
"It hath been said, Whosoever
shall put away his wife, let him give
her a writing of divorcement. But I
say unto you, That whosoever shall
put away his wife, saving for the
cause of fornication, causeth her to
comnzit adultery: and whosoever
shall marry her that is divorced
committeth adultery" (Matthew
5:31,32). P
Albert Gardner works with the Lord's
church in Marmaduke, Arkansas,
USA.
 Let me share an interesting
statement found in 1 Peter 3:7. Peter
is writing concerning the duties of a
husband to his wife and he says,
"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with
them according to knowledge, giving
honour unto the wife, as unto the
weaker vessel, and as being heirs
together of the grace of life, that
your prayers be not hindered ".
Did you realize that your prayers
could be hindered? When you walk
into the kitchen and flip the light
switch, you expect light. If this does-
n't happen, you know that something
is wrong. When you walk over to the
sink and turn on the faucet, you
expect water. If there is no water,
you know that something is wrong.
Likewise, it is normal and natur-
a1 for God to hear and answer the
70
prayers of His children. If we pray
and there is no answer, it is time to
get concerned, for something is
wrong. Something has broken down
the line of communication.
Something is hindering that normal
relationship between the Father and
son. In our text the apostle Peter says
that it is possible for prayers to be
hindered by a problem in the relation-
ship between a husband and his wife.
Marriage is an institution which
originated with God, not with man.
God has decreed that one man and
one woman live together as husband
and wife until death separates them.
In our context, Peter says that the
wife is to be in subjection to her
husband, and he gives Sarah, the
wife of Abraham, as an example.
She is to be in subjection to him,
even in those cases where he is not
a Christian; for, he says, it is possi-
ble that the husband may be won to
Christ through the good life of the
wife. I have seen that happen on a
number of occasions.
But this is not a one-sided situ-
ation. The husband has a number of
responsibilities toward his wife.
Paul says that he is to love her as he
loves himself (Ephesians 5:22). He
also has the responsibility of provid-
ing for her and of being faithful to
her. He must treat her with honor,
respect, and understanding, for she
is his helpmeet. If he doesn't do
these things, his prayers will be hin-
dered. God will not hear him.
Wrong relationships with others
can also hinder our prayers. Jesus
said, " F o r I say unto you, that
whosoever is angry with his brother
without cr cause shall be irl clarlger
of the judgment; and whosoever
shall say to his brother, Raca, shall
be in danger of the council; but
whosoever shall say, Thou fool,
,shall be in danger of hellfire.
"Therefore if thou bring thy gift
to the altar, and there r~ilzemberest
that thy brother 120th ought against
thee; leave there thy gift before the
altar; and go thy way, first be recon-
ciled to thy brother, and then come
and offer thy gift" (Matthew 5:23,24).
God requires that we love our
neighbor as ourselves (Matthew
22:34-40). With that kind of love we
will not do him any harm but will
always look for ways to do him good.
Jesus makes it plain that wrong rela-
tionships with our fellowman result
in no relationship with God. To sin
against our fellowman is to sin
against God. Even under the law of
Moses, according to the Ten
Commandments, God's people were
forbidden to steal, kill, bear false wit-
ness, commit adultery, etc. Under
the law of Christ, we are warned that
even to think evil against others in
our hearts makes us guilty before
God. If we do sin against our broth-
er, we must make it right with him
before we can have forgiveness and
fellowship with God again.
An unforgiving spirit hinders
prayer. In the model prayer Jesus
taught His disciples to pray, "And
forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors" (v. 12). And then He
went on to explain to them, "For i f
ye forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive
you. But i f ye forgive not men their
tresl>asses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses" (vs. 14,15).
Yes, wrong relationships with
our spouse or with our fellowman
can hinder our relationship with
God. By our own behavior we can
close God's ears so that He will not
hear our prayers. P
Roy Beasley works with Restoration
Radio Network in Nashville, Tenn-
essee, USA.
 I was talking with a young lady
some time ago. We talked about
family and she told me how she
longed to be married and have chil-
dren. She wants to many a faithful
Christian man s o that the two of
them can honor God in living right
and rearing children according to the
principles of Christ. However, she
confessed a feeling of desperation.
Past relationships had ended painful-
ly and the prospects for the future, at
least as she saw it, looked bleak.
My heart goes out to her and
others who have had, and are having
similar experiences.
 I counselled my young friend through. She vowed that if God
that she must continue to trust that blessed her with a son, she would
God will provide the husband and give him back. God honored her,
family she desires. She, however, she bore a son and she kept her
must do her part by being faithful to promise. Samuel became one of the
the Lord and His way. She must great men of the Old Testament.
keep herself pure and in the compa- Both these analogies from the
ny of faithful Christians if she is to Scriptures relate to a desire for chil-
find that Christian husband. dren, but the principle involved has
She must not allow discourage- not changed. It applies to my young
ment and despair to overwhelm her, friend who longs for a husband and
for if she does this will lead to com- family: God will provide if we
promise and the wrong company. It faithfully do our part and do not try
is a truism that we usually find our to run ahead qf Him. Q
husbands or wives from those with
whom we spend the most time. Gordon Hogan, former missionary to
Singapore, works with Harding
We must not run ahead of University in Searcy, Arkansas, USA.
God. Remember the poignant story
of Sarah, in Genesis, chapters 15
through 21? With the passing of
years Abraham and Sarah felt keen-
ly the lack of a son and heir. They
had doubts, and sought to gain an
heir by their own unsanctioned
efforts. The childless Sarah urged
Abraham to have a son by her ser-
vant, Hagar. Ishmael was born,
Hagar despised Sarah and only trou-
ble and pain followed, all because
Sarah allowed discouragement and
despair to cause her to try to run
ahead of God.
On the other hand, remember
Hannah? Her barrenness filled her
with despair and discouragement.
She was tormented by others be-
cause she had no children. How-
ever, her trust in God carried her
 Can you identify me? Read each clue and think carefully. If you
guess my name after the first clue, give yourself a score of 100 points.
If you know who I am only after the fifth clue, your score is 60, etc.
When you are sure of my identity, look up the passages of scripture
following each clue to verify the facts from God's word.

My home was in Pethor on the Euphrates (Numbers 22:5).

Elders from the people of Moab (descendants of Lot's grandson,
Moab) and Midian (descendants of Abraham through Keturah)
came to seek my help (Verse 7).
Though my ancestry is not given in the Scriptures, it is evident that
I knew of the true God (V. 8).
The Moabite king, Balak, offered me money if I would do as he
asked (V. 6,7).
I replied, "Though Balak were to give me his
house full of silver and gold, I could not go
beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do
less or more" (V. 18).
Though my words were right, my heart
was desirous of having the money and
pleasing Balak (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11).
I blessed Israel with God's words, but then
I "taught" the Midianites and Balak how
to create disastrous trouble between
God and Israel (Numbers 31:I 6).
Because of my rebellious heart, I
was almost killed by the Angel of
the Lord, but He allowed me to
live so that I might speak the
blessing on Israel (Numbers 22:
22;24:25).
I was killed by the Israelites
(V. 31:8).
Though I had been a spokesman
for God, I forsook Him (Revelation
2:14).

My Score See answer on inside back cover.

74
 King Hezekiah was a good man who made a bad mistake. The king of
Babylon sent messengers to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery from a
near fatal illness; Hezekiah welcomed them into his house and showed them
all the treasures which had been accumulated over the centuries.
The prophet Isaiah came with a searching question: "What have they
seen in your house.. .? " (2 Kings 20: 15). Hezekiah was warned that the day
would come when the Babylonians' lust for the treasures they had seen
would draw them back. The nation would be overthrown, and all the king's
treasures would be carried to Babylon. Hezekiah's children and grandchil-
dren would be captives in chains. In pridefully showing off his possessions,
Hezekiah sowed the seeds which would bring down his house.
The question, "What have they seen in your house...?" is one which
many fathers might well ponder today. Consider.. .
Fathers, what have other people seen in your house? Our friends and
neighbors take note of what goes on in our homes. It is vital that they see
evidence of Christ's influence there! The Bible says, "Keep your behavior
excellent among the Gentiles, so that they may on account of your good
deeds, as they observe them, glorify God.. . " ( 1 Peter 2: 12). Christian prin-
ciples must be given priority in the home. How tragic that in so many
homes today the influence of Christ is not easily seen.
Fathers, what have your children seen in your house? Even the smallest
children have big eyes. They see much and forget little. The things they wit-
ness at home may mark them for all Fathers, what does God see in
eternity. What do they see??? your house? W e may hide what
They may see sexual immorali- goes on in our houses from the eyes
ty. Many children see a steady of o u r neighbors a n d , to s o m e
parade of live-in boyfriends or girl extent, even from our children. But
friends which their mothers o r we cannot hide anything from God!
fathers bring home. They may see "For God will bring every act to
abuse and violence. The #1 killer of judgment.. . " (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
children under 5 is child abuse. As "What have they seen in your
many as fifteen million women are house.. .? " The answer will matter
battered in the home each year. for all eternity. 2
Some children may see pornog-
raphy. Dirty books, lewd magazines, Bobby Dockery is a writer and preach-
and sexually explicit videos are com- er in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
mon in many
homes. Innocent
minds are brutal-
ized and corrupted
by the vile things
parents bring into
the home.
Children may
see alcohol and
drugs. Millions of
homes are torn
apart by drinking
and drug abuse.
Soon, children
leave home to
make their own
way in the world.
They will g o out
equipped for life or
victimized and vul-
nerable to tempta-
tions. It largely
depends on what
they saw at home!
 One of the most difficult tasks
we have as parents is to properly
prepare our children for marriage.
Young people are immature and can
easily make devastating mistakes in
this area. Parents must work over-
time to provide the proper guidance.
At best, there are many concerns
because of the evil influences in our
sinful society.
What can parents do? Exam-
ple is the most powerful teacher. It
is a fact that strong marriages pro-
duce strong marriages. That is, chil-
dren who grow up seeing their father
and mother lovingly committed to
one another are more apt to have the
same kind of marriage. Children
who grow up in a bad marriage tend
to be just like Mama and Daddy.
Another key area is for parents
to teach their children that marriage
is for life (Romans 7:2). This will
do away with most of the half-heart-
ed commitment far too many are
making to marriage.
Parents fail when they do not
teach their children what God says
about marriage and divorce. We
must prevent divorce by listening to
God's plan for the home and instill-
ing it in our children. "Ti1 death us
do part" are powerful words that we
must never forget.
Our job is not easy. However,
we must turn this thing around. Our
children need o u r help. Don't
neglect them. The results are too
tragic. The home is a glorious insti-
tution. Let's keep it that way. Q
Ken Tyler preaches for the Lord's
church in Arab, Alabama, USA.
 If
Eli
Could
Speak
To
Parents
Ferman Carpenter

First Samuel, chapters 2-4, tells us of the life of Eli. He was the high
priest of Israel. He loved God and was very sensitive to His word. During
the time of Eli, spiritual conditions were not good. People mocked God and
lived immoral lives. Tragically, ungodliness also found its way into the
lives of Eli's sons. They were not only disrespectful to God in their wor-
ship, but they were also immoral in their conduct (Samuel 2: 12-25).
While we appreciate Eli's dedication to God, it is disturbing to see how
he neglected his children. For whatever reason, he failed to restrain and dis-
cipline them (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 29). Because of Eli's lack of restraint, his
children became careless and immoral even in the Lord's service, and they
died as ungodly men.
Today we also live in a very busy world. For over two generations
many parents have been so busy that they have failed to restrain and disci-
pline their children. Thus, many children have grown up to disrespect God
in their worship and in the way they live.
Let's look at what Eli might tell parents if he were here today:
 THEC H R I S T I A N HOME
d "Dedicate yourself to God." Our dedication must come from
within and not just from a few "noticeable" acts. Whether we are
at home, work, or play, we should live like children of God.
Joshua knew that his family could tell if his life was a fake.
Therefore his faith was seen in his worship and in his daily living:
"As for me and my house we will serve the L o r d (Joshua 24:15).
d "Give your family the attention it deserves and needs."
Helping our family see the joys of Christian living should be our su-
preme objective. Many good people fail to give their children the
spiritual nourishment they need. God instructed parents to "bring"
their children up, NOT "send" them up (Ephesians 6:4).
d "Restraint is necessary to please God." Eli knew his sons
were wrong but he did not restrain them. Many homes today are
facing the same problem. More parents are listening to "noted psy-
chiatrists" than to God. God's Word is truth and it has never
changed (John 17:17; Malachi 3:6). Other ways may seem better,
but what if "they" are wrong? "There is a way which seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs
14:12). Therefore, parents, take heed when God says, "He that
spareth the rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chasteneth
him" - "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul
spare for his crying" - "The rod and reproof give wisdom; but a
child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame" - "No discipline
seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Nevertheless afterward, it
produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who were
trained thereby" (Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 15:17; Hebrews 12:ll).
d "You will pay the price if you fail!" God tells us, "The way of
the transgressor is h a r d - "The wages of sin is deathJJ(Proverbs
13:15; Romans 6:23). Eli's sons lived and died in rebellion to
God. Their lives brought them misery and heartache to Eli. The
same destiny is true for everyone who fails to heed God's way.
The price we pay will be in this world as well as in eternity.
Eli cannot speak to us today, but through the Bible God tells us his
story, and gives us warning (Psalm 119:160; 1 Timothy 4: 16). We have only
one opportunity to raise our children right. Let's do it God's way. P
Ferman Carpenter preaches for the Lord's church in Corsicana, Texas, USA.

79
 rt is b e i ~ ga t peilce a m d s c c u v e w i t h ~ d mot, ego-
t i s t i c a l , ov p v o u d , O Y comfidemt i m omeself, b u t s i m ~ l y
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80
 ~tis havimy ehdured suficiemt trouble alnd huvt
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it is h a v i q passed t h a t eva o f s p i ~ i t u a lchildhood

whem obedie~cewas a d u t y , or a deed t o be vewavded;
whek sometimes the velatiomship seemed p~ecavious
umdev challemge a v ~ dother times it seemed hollow i m
youv soul. It is havimg a t Last become ttis child, mot
i m vL0vl.e a n d veachilny t o achieve, but i m every atom
of y o u r being, SO t h a t e~istemcewithout t h e comtiln-
ued awavelness of 1-63presemce ca m mo Lomgev evem be
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rt is ~ V L G W ~ Vmot
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, re~ldihgt h e words i v t ~h e
scviptuve but from t h e co~sciousinesswithim y o u r
ow& SOUL t h a t "meither death LADY Life, &or av~gelslnev
primcipa lities or powers, mov t h i m g s pvesemt mov-
thilncjs t o come, v~ovheight VLDY depth, lnoy a m y @ t h e y
created t h i m g , shalt be able t o separate u s from the
love of q o d which is i m Christjesus our Lord."
( ~ v v t ~$?:38,39)
v~s
 COMFORT
AND REASSURANCE

ldering.. .
Allan Hicks
A bruised reed h e will not
break, and a smoldering wick
he will not snuff out. (Isaiah
42:3a; N I V )
Have you been hurt lately?
Physically? Emotionally? Spiritually?
Mentally? Those who lived in Isaiah's
times would see much sorrow and pain.
Isaiah prophesied that they would be
sent into the hands of foreigners who
would rule over them. It would seem
as though God had abandoned them,
but in chapter 42, Isaiah speaks of the
Servant who would come to deliver them. This servant would handle a bruised
reed with gentleness and would not snuff out a smoldering wick.
Anyone who has been near a river's edge where reeds grow has seen
how tall and strong these plants can be. They are very similar to the bam-
boo plant. They are hollow in the center and very strong. However, the
plant is easily broken in the bruised place.
A smoldering wick on a candle needs just the right amount of air to
nourish it into a strong flame. too much and it becomes extinguished, too lit-
tle and it dies.
Our lives can be very much like a bruised reed or a smoldering wick.
We may have had major setbacks, physically. or even spiritually. Jesus
came to help us with the crises and problems in our lives. He didn't come to
demand that we be blalneless before He would help. In fact, He is gentle in
caring for those who have been hurt or for those who are carrying heavy
burdens in their lives.
Jesus asked all who are weary and burdened to come to Him, promising
that He will give the needed rest (Matthew 11:28). Are you carrying a bur-
den that is too heavy? Do you need rest? Turn to Jesus and He will help
you. fl
 COMFORT
AND REASSURANCE

7Ae lord Will Deliwr MB! Loy Mitchell

"The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of
the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:37).
David was confident that he
would defeat Goliath, who was
defying the God of Israel. Yes, this
enemy stood almost three meters
tall. He was a giant and a seasoned
soldier. However, David did not
fear this Philistine as one who could
destroy the children of God.
There were people that day who
did their best to discourage this
young man, David. His oldest
brother tried to dishearten him by
saying, "Why have you come down
here? And with whom did you leave
those few sheep in the desert? I
know how conceited your heart is;
you came down only to watch the
battle " (verse 28).
Saul, the king, made this
remark: "You are not able to go
against this Philistine andfight him;
you are only a boy, and he has been
a fighting man from his youth"
(verses 43,44).
David's answer to Goliath shows
us the great confidence he had in
God. "You come against me with
sword and spear and ,javelin, but I
come a~ainstyou in the name o f the
Lord the ~~d of the armies
of Israel whom you have defied. This
day the Lord will hand you over to
me, and I'll strike you down and cut
offyour head" (verses 45,46).
David did defeat that great
giant. How? He knew the Lord
would grant him victory. He knew
he was in the right.
What about today? Is our God
still able to deliver us? Yes, the
enemies we face are powerful and
numerous. Yes, there are people
who will do their best to discourage
us in our fight against Satan and his
army. Yes, Satan is powerful and a
seasoned warrior, but OUR GOD
CAN GIVE US THE VICTORY!
So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not
be afraid. What can man do to
me?" (Hebrews 13:6).
" I can d o all things through
Him who gives me strength" (Phi-
lippians 4: 13).
" B u t thanks be t o God! He
gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians
1.557). P
Loy Mitchell, former missionary to
Zimbabwe, now preaches f o r t h e
Northside Church of Christ in Topeka,
Kansas, USA.
 COMFORT
AND REASSURANCE
In 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 we
have a powerful text regarding the
return of Christ and the resurrection
of the dead.
"But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them
which are asleep, that you sorrow
not, even as others which have no
hope. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God
bring with him.
"For this we say unto you by
the word of the Lord, that we which
are alive and remain unto the com-
ing of the Lord shall not prevent
(precede) them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, and the
voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God; and the dead in
Christ shall rise first: then we which
are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air;
and so shall we ever be with the
Lord. "
Dying is real. And there is no
fear that has a greater grip on
humanity than the fear of death. No
day is more dreaded. And no loss is
more crushing than the loss of a
loved one. The Thessalonian
Christians were immature in their
spiritual knowledge. They needed
to be reassured that God would
solve the problems they saw in
death.
Through the direction of the
Holy Spirit, Paul wrote the
Thessalonians - and all of us -
words of comfort concerning the
resurrection which is promised to
Christians. He did not intend in
these few verses to explain every-
thing about the Lord's coming, but
he did, however, make certain
things quite clear.
 COMFORT
AND REASSURANCE

There is clearly a difference 13,14,15). Ancient pagans spoke of

between those whose hope is in death as sleep, but to them it was
Christ and those who have no hope. eternal sleep from which one would
Notice again in verse 13 how Paul never awaken. Christians call death
contrasted those " w h o have n o sleep because we expect to be awak-
hope. " No comfort is given for ened from it into eternal life!
people who die "For this
out of Christ. we say unto
Revelation you by the
14: 13 declares word of the
a blessing for Lord.. . " (verse
"the dead who 15). All that
die in the Paul explained
Lord." Psalm was according
116:15 says, to God's pro-
"Precious in mise. It was
the sight of the neither super-
Lord is the stition nor sci-
death of his ence. Only He
saints." But who has the
tragically, "keys of hades
those who are and death"
out of Christ (Revelation
have "no hope" 1:18) can
(Ephesians unlock its se-
2: 12). crets. Science
Our hope and philosophy
stands on our know nothing
faith that God raised up Jesus. Our of these things, but we have the
Savior did come out of the grave. word of the Lord.
He was raised and even now He Those who are dead in Christ
lives (Hebrews 7:25). Thus Paul will miss nothing of ultimate impor-
reasons, "For if we believe that tance. Apparently some in
Jesus died and rose again, even so Thessalonica feared that those who
them also which sleep in Jesus will had died would not get to enjoy the
God bring with Him" (verse 14). glory of the coming of Christ, but
The "dead in Christ" (verse Paul assures them the living would
16) are only "asleep" (verses not "prevent" (precede) those who
 COMFORT
AND REASSURANCE

were asleep in Christ. Rather,
before the righteous living would go
to meet the Lord, the dead in Christ
"shall rise first" so that all together
could meet the Lord in the air (vers-
es 15-17).
Incidentally, it is a complete
misunderstanding to think that "rise
first" indicates that there will be
more than one resurrection day.
The word 'prst" has the sense of
before and means that the dead in
Christ would be raised before the
living ascend. As regards whether
all saints, living and dead, will go to
meet Christ and be with Him forev-
er (verse 17). John wrote that
"when he shall appear, we shall be
like him; for we shall see him as he
is" (1 John 3:2). This promise is
directly tied to the famous words of
Jesus, "I will come again, and
receive you unto myse& that where
1 am, there ye may be also" (John
14:3). P
David R. Pharr preaches the Gospel in
Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA.

day for the resurrection

of the wicked, Jesus
settled the matter by
putting the resurrection
of all the dead in the
same hour (John 5:
28,29).
We are given a
glimpse of the majesty
and power of Christ's
second coming (verse
26). The Lord Himself
will descend, literally
and personally. "This
same Jesus" (Acts
1:11) will come with a
shout. The dead will
hear His voice (John
5:28). There will be
also the voice of the
archangel and the trum-
pet of God.
When Jesus comes,

A group of women were talk-
ing, and one of them said, "Our con-
gregation is sometimes down to 40
or 50 on Sunday night."
Another said, "That's nothing.
Sometimes our attendance is down
to 15 or 20 on Sunday night."
An old maid then commented,
"It's so bad at our church on Sunday
night that when the preacher says
'Dearly beloved,' I think he's talk-
ine to me."
Winston K. Pendleton reports
that a directive from the U. S. Dept.
of Defense was sent to all Army
units in the field. It read: "It is
necessary for technical reasons that
these warheads must be stored
upside down, that is, with the top at
the bottom and the bottom at the
top. To prevent anyone making a
mistake, and in order that there will
87
be no doubt as to which is the hot-
tom and which is the top, for stor-
age purposes, it will be noted that
the bottom of each warhead has
been labeled with the word "Top."
w
Preacher Tom Steed inserted
the following in the church bulletin:
For the next few weeks, I will
be teaching the Ten Commandments
in the Wednesday night auditorium
class and the Sunday morning high
school class. I began each series by
asking class members to see how
many of the Ten Commandments
they could list. The winner listed
thirteen!
One fellow said, "It really does
bother me to fly. You know, they
put you on a plane built by the low-
est bidder, fly at 600 mph at an alti-
tude of 35,000 feet, and they start
YOU out at what they call "the termi-
nal!"
w
My good friend Charlie is
always complaining about his
wife's cooking. The other day he
told me that her oven has two set-
tings ...smoking and non-smoking.
 A mother was making pancakes
for her sons Kevin 5, and Ryan 3.
The boys argued over who would
get the first pancake. Mother saw a
chance to teach a lesson, so she
said, "If Jesus were sitting here, He
would say, 'Let my brother have the
first pancake. I can wait."'
The 5-year-old turned to his
younger brother and said, "OK,
Ryan, you be Jesus."
Overheard: "My wife's age is
her own business, but I'll tell you
this: She's been in business a l-o-o-
o-n-g time."
After the fall in the Garden of
Eden, Adam was walking with his
sons, Cain and Abel. They passed
by the ruins of the garden, and one
of the boys asked, "What's that?"
Adam answered, "Boys, that's
where your mother ate us out of
house and home."
A man and a dog were walking
along together down a sidewalk. A
jogger came by, stopped and asked
the man, "Does your dog bite?"
The man said, "No." The jogger
then reached down to pet the dog
and the rascal just about tore his
hand off. The jogger exclaimed, "I
thought you said your dog didn't
bite!" The man replied, "This ain't
my dog."
Question: Who was the great-
est financier in the Bible?
Answer: Noah. He was float-
ing his stock while everyone else
was in liquidation.
The headline in a church bul-
letin read as follows: "Missionary
from Africa Speaking at Calvary
Memorial Church in Racine." The
article then told that the lady mis-
sionary's name was Bertha Belch.
The article concluded with the invi-
tation, "Come hear Bertha Belch all
the way from Africa."
We all know that the computer
technology is changing constantly.
There's a new model for sale now
that is a combination word proces-
sor and food processor. It's espe-
cially good for those times when
you have to eat your words.
 New Life In Christ
Randy Kea
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the apos-
tle Paul said, "Therefore ifany man
be in Christ, he is a new creature;
old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new. " Please
consider the following analysis of
this verse:
"Therefore if' - This phrase sets
forth the conditional nature of gain-
ing and maintaining a right relation-
ship with God. The word "if' is
found throughout the New
Testament denoting the fact that sal-
vation is conditional. For instance,
in John 8:31, the Lord said, "Zf ye
continue in my word, then are you
my disciples in deed: And ye shall
know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free."
"any man" - This phrase clearly
shows that God's offer of salvation
is universal in scope. Note the fol-
lowing phrases found elsewhere in
the New Testament: "every crea-
ture " (Mark 16:15); "all nations"
(Matthew 28: 18-20); "every man"
(Hebrews 2:9); "all" (1 Timothy
2:6; Matthew 11:28-30).
"in Christ" - This specifies the
precise location of all of the wonder-
ful blessings that God offers
throughout the Gospel of Christ. For
example, Paul says in Ephesians 1:3
that "all spiritual blessings " are in
Christ. In 2 Timothy 2:10 he affirms
that salvation is found in Christ.
John the apostle indicates that the
promise of eternal life is found in
Christ (1 John 2:25; 5:ll-13).
"new creature" - When a person
obeys the Gospel, thereby becoming
a Christian, all things become new.
The new Christian has a new life, a
new destiny, follows a new stan-
dard, enjoys new blessings, and has
a new purpose. The process of
becoming a Christian includes faith
to change the heart, repentance to
change the life, confession to
change allegiance, and baptism to
change the state (Mark 16:15,16;
Acts 2:38; 22:26; Galatians 3:26,27;
Acts 15:7-9; Romans 10:9,10).
The parallel verse to our text
under consideration is Romans 6: 1-
4. It reads as follows: "What shall
 we say then? Shall we continue in
sin, that grace may abound? God
forbid. How shall we that are dead
t o sin, live any longer therein?
Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Christ were bap-
tized unto his death? Therefore we
are buried with Him by baptism into
death: that like as Christ was raised
up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk
in newness of life. " This is clearly a
reference to water baptism.
Please seriously consider these
points: Water baptism stands
between every lost person and a
new life in Christ. It is when a per-
son is buried (or immersed) in the
waters of baptism that they contact
the soul-cleansing power of the
blood of Christ shed in His death.
Compare Acts 22: 16 and Revelation
1:5. Also compare Acts 2:38 and
Matthew 26:28.
The question is, "Have you
been baptized into Christ as a peni-
tent believer" (Galatians 3:27)? P
Randy Kea preaches for the congre-
gation in Forest Park, Georgia, USA.
 God and the Kinadom
First
Max Patterson
"But see ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteous-
ness; and all these things shall be added unto you"
There are four facets or clear
propositions in this verse. Let us
look briefly at each of these.
First, this verse contains an
obligation - "seek." Seek means
diligent search, patient inquiry. We
need to find out our duty to God so
that we may know our obligation to
Him and His church. There are
many admonitions in Scripture deal-
ing with the activity of Christians.
We are told to "Work out our own
salvation" (Philippians 2:12,13).
We are encouraged to be "steadfast,
unmovable, always abounding in
the work of the ~~~d~ (1 Corinthi-
ans 15:58). Jesus gave us a great
example in John 9:4 when He said,
"I must work the works of him that
sent me while it is day, for the night
cometh when no man can work."
Our obligation to be active is
nowhere more clearly set out than in
Matthew 7:21-27.
Second, this verse designates
91
an object. We are to seek the king-
dom of God ( o r church). In our
time, particularly, men are seeking
something - Transcendental Medi-
tation, other types of meditation,
astrology, spiritualism, scientology,
various cults, immorality, etc. But
because these "answers" are from
men and not from God, and there-
fore cannot provide true direction,
people often go from one to another
in a ceaseless quest for lasting help
with life's challenges. To seek
God's kingdom is to seek the bene-
fits, blessings, and privileges of that
kingdom, both in this life and in the
promised eternal life of the next
world. This can be done only by
becoming a member of His king-
dom (John 3:3-5; Mark 16:15,16).
One can seek after righteousness
only by doing right (Psalms 119:
172; 1 John 3:7).
Third, the verse contains an
order in life's priorities. We are to
seek the kingdom of God and His
righteousness first. Now, our prob-
lem is not in any inability to under-
stand what "first" means. Our prob-
lem, for the most part, is that we
just do not want to do what God has
asked. We do not put Him first in
our studying, praying, attending
church services, and in many other
ways. We need to determine to do
better.
Fourth, the verse contains a
promise based on a condition. If
we seek the kingdom first then "all
these (material) things shall be
added, " or literally "thrown in to
boot." They are offered as an
added attraction. What a wonderful
promise! How can we turn it down?
I admonish you to choose rightly. Q
Max Patterson is a gospel preacher
and teacher living in Neosho, Mis-
souri, USA.

CAN YOU SPARE TWENTY MINUTES PER DAY?

Recently, I received a letter with this statement, "Twenty-four years
in the first grade: that is how long it would toke to pass ifpublic schools
met only as often as Sunday Bible school and ifno classes were missed."
Certainly, this is a challenging statement. Suppose you came t o Bible
school only half the time. That would be the equivalent of forty-eight
years in the first grade! A t this rate you can see why we have so much
Bible ignorance in the world today.
There was a time when members o f the Lord's church were known
as people who really knew the Book, but we feel that day is past f o r
many. W e need t o re-emphasize the importance o f reading.
A few years ago. I read that if a person spent twenty minutes a day
on a given subject for a period o f twenty years, he would be an authori-
ty in that field. If that is true then think what twenty minutes a day
over twenty years would mean in Bible knowledge!
W e live in an age o f education. Even retired people return t o college
and many o f the younger ones are still in school at age 30. W i t h all
the emphasis on education, we need t o emphasize Bible knowledge. W e
spend a great portion o f our lives preparing for a profession o r vocation
in this world, which at best will be less than one century, and yet we
spend so little time in preparation t o live for eternity.
- Author Unknown
 CHARTS
AND OUTLINES

Regaining Your First Love

Revelation 2:4,5
Kevin L. Moore
INTRODUCTION:

1. About 40 years after the church had been established at Ephesus, the
Lord delivered a message to them through His servant John (Revelation
2: 1-7).
a. He commended them for their works and patience; they could not
tolerate those who were evil; they tested and rejected false teachers;
they persevered with patience; and they diligently labored for
Christ (vs 2,3).
b. "Nevertheless," Jesus said, "I have this against you, that you have
left your first love."
2. Sometimes we can be very busy and exhibit all the outward characteris-
tics of faithful Christians, but may have lost that inward drive and moti-
vation of love (cf. 2 Corinthians 5: 14).
3. Jesus reveals how to regain our first love (Revelation 2:5).

DISCUSSION:

1. "REMEMBER THEREFORE FROM WHERE YOU HAVE

FALLEN"
a. Our tendency to forget is a fundamental reason we love motivation.
(1) We forget what it was like before Jesus came into our lives
(Titus 3:3).
(2) We forget that we have been purged from our old sins
(2 Peter 1:9).
b. To regain our first love, we must remember!
(1) Remember the horror of being lost (Ephesians 2: 11,12).
(2) Remember the tremendous blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3;
1 Corinthians 15:10).
 CHARTS
AND OUTLINES

2. "REPENT"
a. Repentance begins with sorrow for sin (2 Corinthians 7:9,10).
b. Repentance involves turning from sin to God (Acts 3:19,26; 26:20).
c. Repentance expresses itself through righteous deeds (Matthew 3:8;
Acts 26:20).

3. "DO THE FIRST WORKS"

a. It is important to do the things we did before we left our first love.
(1) The key to changing behavior is to change thinking (Proverbs
4:23; 23:7).
(2). The key to changing thinking is to fill our minds with
wholesome things (Philippians 4:8).
(3) The key to filling our minds with wholesome things is to read,
study, and meditate on the word of God (2 Timothy 2: 15;
3: 16,17).
b. With God's word in our hearts, the right actions will naturally
follow (Psalms 37:31; 40%).
(1) We will do works befitting repentance (Acts 26:20).
(2) We will work righteousness (Acts 10:35).
(3) We will be doers of the word (James 1:22).
c. Changed thinking leads to changed behavior which leads to
changed feelings.

CONCLUSION:
1. If you have left your first love, Jesus offers the solution.
a. Remember from where you have fallen.
b. Repent.
c. Do the things you did at first.
2. May we all try to remain properly motivated as we follow these basic
steps. f?

Kevin L. Moore works with the church of Christ in Wanganui, New Zealand.
 CHARTS
AND OUTLINES

O u r Exam le in a
wonLbLy foaety 1 Peter 2:21-25
Andy Jooste

INTRODUCTION:
A. Peter writes to "resident aliens" (1 Peter 1:I).
B. "Where do you live?" This world is not our home (1 Peter
2:1 1) "sojourners" (Psalms 39:12).
C. How then shall we live? (2Peter 3: 1 1).
I. MAN CREATED WITH DIVINE PURPOSE
A. Man in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
B. Children honor the image of parents by reflection: Jesus as the Son
of God (Hebrews 1: 1-3).
C. God's children honor Him by reflecting His glory (1 Peter 2:9).
Jesus did (John 17:4).
11. THE HOSTILE WORLD IN WHICH CHRISTIANS LIVE
A. "They think it strange..." (1 Peter 4:l).
B. Open hostility of unbelievers (1 Peter 4:12-16).
Suffering as a Christian glorifies God.
C. This conflict portrayed as cross bearing (Matthew 10:32-39).
95
 CHARTS
AND OUTLINES

111. HOW JESUS PROVIDES OUR EXAMPLE

A. He entered our world to experience what we do (Hebrews 2:14-18;
NB. Matthew 12:29).
B. All who would live godly will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).
Jesus did (1 Peter 2:21-23).
C. Left footsteps (1 Peter 2:21). Complete knowledge to partake of
divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).
CONCLUSION: WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
A. He never forgot His purpose in life: To glorify God in obedience
(1 Peter 4:16,17).
B. Committed Himself to God as faithful Creator (1 Peter 4: 19).
C. Humble self ...resist the devil...be exalted (established) in due time
(1 Peter 5:6-10). P
Andy Jooste is a preacher of the Gospel in the Republic of South Africa.
 In the book of Acts we read a lot
about Paul and Peter, but not much
about Barnabas. His name was really
Joseph, but the apostles called him
Barnabas, which means "Son of
Encouragement".
When the new church in Jerusalem
was in financial trouble, Barnabas sold
his property and gave the money to the

When the disciples in Jerusalem

rejected Paul because of all they had
heard about his past, it was Barnabas
who told them about Paul's conversion
and how he had risked his life to preach
the Gospel in Damascus.
When the Christians in Antioch
needed help with the work, the church
in Jerusalem sent Barnabas. It was
Barnabas who was not afraid to ask
Paul to help with the work when others
didn't want his involvement because he
had formerly persecuted

E
' :;iarnabas who
traveled with Paul to
make the first missionary journey.
When they talked about going on the
second journey, Barnabas wanted to
take John Mark along, but Paul was
against the idea because John Mark had
turned back during the first journey. So
Paul and Silas went in one direction and Barnabas and John Mark went in
another, but Paul and Barnabas were still friends.
It was Barnabas who encouraged John Mark in spite of his first failure.
Then later, Paul asked Timothy to bring Mark, because "he is helpful to me
in my ministry. " And later, John Mark wrote the book of Mark.
 We don't read about Barnabas who have talents they have not rec-
again after he and Paul went their ognized and, thus, have not devel-
separate ways, but Paul might not oped?
have become what he became with- Is there someone who needs our
out the encouragement of Barnabas. encouragement? Could w e be a
Perhaps most of us need to be Barnabas? B
m o r e like B a r n a b a s . C o u l d w e
encourage a John Mark after a fail- Jack Gordon is a member of the
church of Christ in Arnold, Missouri,
ure? Could we encourage a Paul USA.
who had fought the church and was
then r e j e c t e d by
those he had hurt?
There are many
ways in today's
world that we might
emulate Barnabas.
Could we be more
helpful to those
who are hurting be-
cause of the death
or illness of a loved
one? Could we en-
courage that student
who i s away at
school? Could we
show our concern
for those who have
moved away from
home and are miss-
ing the ones they
left behind? Could
we offer m o r e
friendship to those
in our midst who
are new? Could we
be a greater encour-
agement to young
Christians, to those
 Gehazi, A Servant
Frances Parr
In the few chapters of 2 Kings which speak of him, Gehazi seems to be
a fellow on the run. He was a servant of Elisha, God's prophet. As the
prophet roamed the country in service to God, Gehazi was his companion
and confidant.
A Shunammite woman befriended Elisha and built a room on her house
for him to use when he was passing through. Elisha wanted to repay her for
her kindness. Gehazi was sent to find her. The woman's husband was well-
to-do and there seemed to be nothing she wanted or needed. Gehazi
observed that she had no children and that her husband was old. Elisha
promised her a child, and the following year she bore a son.
One day, when the child grew older, he went with his father to the
fields. He became very ill and died the same day in his mother's arms. The
Shunammite woman quickly found Elisha and fell at his feet. Gehazi, the
protective servant, tried to push her away from his master. Instead, when
the prophet learned that her son was dead, he sent Gehazi to lay his own
staff on the child's face. Gehazi did this and returned to his master, saying
that the boy did not respond. Elisha then went to the house and revived the
woman's son.
There is no indication of how much time had passed from this incident
to the next time we hear of Gehazi in the Scriptures, but in the meantime,
the servant had changed. When Elisha healed Naaman, the leper, he was
offered silver and clothing, which he refused. After Naaman left to return to
his home, Gehazi decided the gifts which Elisha turned down shouldn't go
to waste. He ran after Naaman, and asked for and got a portion of the goods.
Gehazi returned home, hid his booty in the house, and went about his
work. Elisha had missed his servant and asked him where he had been. "I
have not been anywhere, " Gehazi lied. Elisha's spirit had been with Gehazi
and observed everything he did. While Naaman, an enemy soldier, had been
cleansed of leprosy, Gehazi, an Israelite, was instantly turned white as snow
with the disease. He and his descendants were cursed with leprosy forever.
As with those today who choose to seek worldly gain instead of the way
of the Lord, what a huge price to pay for a few bits of perishable rubbish! 2

Frances Parr is a Christian writer living in Eldon, Missouri, USA.

were her doubts that she no longer
wanted to be called Naomi (mean-
ing pleasant) by her friends and
family, instead she chose the name
Mara (meaning bitter). Little did
she realize the fullness she enjoyed
in her devoted daughter-in-law upon
her return to Bethlehem from Moab.
She could only see her emptiness.
The reputation of Ruth's devo-
tion and love preceded her appear-
ance as a gleaner in the fields of
Boaz. It was likely no surprise to
this noble and influential man to
learn that this lovely woman work-
ing among the poor and destitute
was the same Ruth of whom he had
already heard. One willing to leave
her own family and homeland to
care for her mother-in-law would
also certainly not hesitate to labor in
order to help provide food for the
table.
Easily recognizing the excep-
tional character of this Moabitess,
Boaz saw that she was specially
cared for. The provisions of the
harvesters were at her disposal, and
more than the usual amount of grain
was left behind for her to glean.
And when Ruth returned t o her
mother-in-law with the excessive
fruit of her d a y ' s labor, Naomi
knew something special had hap-
pened. A sprig of joy must have
sprouted in her embittered heart
upon learning the identity of the
gracious owner of the field. Boaz
was a near kinsman. Boaz was the
man who could, if he would, bring
blessing b a c k to t h e family of
Elimelech.
Noami wisely advised Ruth
concerning the way to make known
to Boaz how he might greatly help
not only this exceptional Moabitess,
but his own relatives as well. The
instructions given by Naomi and
followed by Ruth expressed the
urgency and the magnitude of this
request, but everything was done in
such a way as to maintain dignity
and honor for the young widow.
Boas took action. First satisfy-
ing all requirements of the law, he
married Ruth. Upon the birth of
their child, Naoini was reminded
that though she had doubted God's
love for her, H e had blessed her
much, and that Ruth proved to be
better t o her than seven s o n s .
Unknown to Naomi and her con-
temporaries was the surpassing
blessing of this grandson's grand-
son, who would receive a promise
fro111 God ultimately fulfilled in
none other than the Savior of the
world.
What a beautiful vehicle the
story of Ruth is for the messages of
dignity and honor, hope in the face
of despair, and trust in the providen-
tial care of almighty God. Q
David Deffenbauah ~ r e a c h e sthe
Gospel of Christ :i ~ahlequah,OK,
USA.
-q=J-'J Philippine

Kenneth J. Wilkey

We must look
back over seventy
years to see the roots
of the church in the
Philippines. With
thankfulness and ad-
miration one can see
a church that lived, and continues to live, through the dedication of many
unsung Christians. Heartaches, suffering, martyrdom, victories and failures
all are in this history. Only our Lord's Book records it correctly, but here
are Filipinos and Americans to remember with gratitude and love for what
they gave to us.
Only three persons served as missionaries of the church in the Philip-
pines prior to the Second World War: George Benson, H.G. Cassell, and
O.T. Rodman. George Pepperdine was the mover behind the churches of
Christ coming to the Philippines. This godly individual had prospered in his
business. He made a trip to Asia in 1927, taking both of his daughters,
Florence and Esther, with him to Honolulu, Japan, China and the
Philippines. In Manila, brother Pepperdine met Leslie Wolfe, a man of very
conservative theology who no longer belonged to the liberal Disciples of
Christ. Of this visit Wolfe said: "Manila, Aug. 3: Had George Pepperdine
of Los Angeles and his two daughters with us during the last week in July.
He spoke three times. making most favorable impression. Brother
Pepperdine is head of a company that has more than 150 stores selling auto-
mobile accessories. He is of the conservative brethren." (Christian
Standard, September 17, 1927.
The next year brother Pepperdine took another around-the-world trip
with his mother, traveling to India, China, Japan and Hawaii. When they
stopped in Hong Kong he met George Benson. Brother Benson had been
driven out of Canton, China by the Communists, so brother Pepperdine
urged him to go to the Philippines until he could return to China. Later,
when there was a need for someone to replace brother Benson in Mindoro
Island, H.G. Cassell volunteered to go there. For seventeen years brother
Cassell remained in the field, being joined by only one other missionary,
O.T. Rodman.
1 spent some time with brother Pepperdine in 1960-61, before going to
the Philippines myself, and saw his zeal for the Lord first-hand. I recall
overhearing him tell the eldership of the old Southwest Church of Christ that
they ought to sponsor Margie and me in our Philippine mission work. He
continued to dedicate his money and his time to the Philippines, being sup-
portive of the establisment of Philippine Bible College. Objective facts
today reveal that he and George Benson, with some kind assistance from
Leslie Wolfe, started a movement that is an undeniable success in Asia, rec-
ognizing the Philippines as a ripe field for harvest. B
Kenneth J. Wilkey, of College Station, Texas, was a former president of
Philippine Bible College and makes regular mission trips to the Philippines.

Mindanao ranks the second largest island in the Philippines, next only
to Luzon. To Filipinos before the War it was called "The land of Promise",
being fertile and sparsely populated.
Ten kilometers from Cotabato City lies the small farming village of
Pinaring. It was here that "homeseekers" from Luzon made their stop-over in
search of land of their own. One of the first homeseekers to come to Pinaring
was Antonio Villanueva, a soft-spoken preacher of the conservative Christian
church. When he was not farming, Villanueva went around preaching.
Among his first converts were Aurelio Ebita and Espiridion Camaganacan.
103
 Great blessings came to Villanueva's work when a group of relatives
from Nueva Ecija arrived at the invitation of a retired U. S. Navy Remegio
dela Torre. The whole clan obeyed the gospel, foremost of whom were
Laureano Belo, Corne-
lio Alegre and Fabian
Bruno. Thus the church
in Pinaring grew very
fast. In 1939 they
erected a church build-
ing and nailed up the
sign "Church of Christ."
And so arose the first
congregation of the
Lord in the island of
Mindanao.
Villanueva at first Laureano Belo (left, with son, Poly Belo)
held on to denomina- and his family have had a great part in the
tional practices. It spreading of the Gospel in the Philippines.
remained for a preacher
friend, Pedro Azada, to visit and convince the young church to drop the
practices of eating blood, infant dedication, celebration of Christmas, instru-
mental music in worship and missionary society. Azada had served as an
interpreter for missionary H. G. Cassel working in the island of Mindoro.
In late 1940 most of the members left Pinaring and settled in Alip, Datu
Paglas in Central Cotabato. The church, composed of eleven families,
called their new home "The new Jerusalem..." For two years Alip was the
radiating center of the gospel. Through the combined efforts of Villanueva,
Belo and Alegre churches were established in Lambayong, Malingon,
Central Mangilala and M'lang. Among the foremost converts of those years
were Rizal Cariaga, Gabriel Bravo and Melchor Fontanillla.
Meanwhile War broke out in December 1941. The Japanese invaded
the country; the Americans were driven out, and terrorism abounded. On
one Sunday in 1942 the Alip brethren were invaded by Muslim neighbors,
ransacked of all belongings and taken captives for ten days. In Tubod,
Lanao, Pedro Azada was massacred with his mother, wife, two daughters
and a grandson. When the Alip brethren were released, they did not return
to their homes. Instead they separated and were "scattered abroad."
Villanueva settled in San Felipe, Alegre in Central Mangilala and Belo in
M'lang. But they continued preaching the word.
Liberation from the Japanese occupation came with the landing of
General MacArthur in 1944. Frank Trayler, chaplain and also a Christian,
baptized several at the San Ramon Penal Colony in Zamboanga City. This
work resulted in the coming of Floyd T. Hamilton and Leland O'Neal and
the beginning of the Zamboanga Bible College in 1946.
Among the pioneer preachers, Laureano Belo stood out as the most
extraordinary. He quoted scriptures from memory, spoke in five dialects,
and was blessed with unusual energy and boundless enthusiasm. He never
turned down any invitation to preach no matter how far and how difficult the
journey. Yet he never owned even a bicycle. He preached while hiking,
planting, harvesting, having a haircut, in the bus or in the boat. He estab-
lished congregations in Cotabato and Zamboanga del Sur, more than anyone
else in his lifetime. He was accused as a rebel leader, beaten with a rod and
imprisoned. Once he was knocked down unconscious by his opponents in a
debate who beat him with the microphone stand. When he died in 1996, the
churches of Christ in Mindanao had grown to over 200 congregations.
Dominador (Jack) Belo is now preaching in Tacloban City, in the island
of Leyte. Like his father, Laureano Belo, Jack also has a pioneering spirit.
The Dominador Belo family, together with the Charles Smith family and
Reuben and Evelyn Emperado, began the first congregation in the island of

Students of the Institute of Biblical Studies in Cebu City, operated

by brother Reuben Emperado.
Cebu, in Cebu City. Jack Belo also pioneered the work in Tacloban City,
Catbalogan City. Samar and the work in Calbayog Samar.
The Church of our Lord, although it has grown to more than 400 con-
gregations since the coming of the George Bensons in the late 1920's, is still
very much a minority religion in the Philippines in comparison to the many
religious groups in this country.
Present works in the Philippines include these Bible schools and train-
ing schools: Philippine Bible College, Zamboanga Bible School, Manila
School of Evangelism. Sunrize School of Preaching. Cebu Bible School,
Philippine Institute of Biblical Studies, Mobile School of Evangelism and
Shepherding, Bacolod Bible School, Dumaguete Bible School. and Panay
Bible School
Goodnews Medical Clinic in Cebu City, begun through the efforts of
brother Bob Marshall, is a flourishing and effective outreach, bringing the
truth to many while offering medical services to the poor of the area. The
medical team frequently takes to the road with evangelists and campaigners
to open a new area with the Gospel. i?
Dominador Belo, a son in one of the prominent pioneer families of Gospel preach-
ers, now works with the Lord's church in Tacloban City, Leyte, Philippines.

It was always the great desire of the apostle Paul to preach the gospel
"where Christ had not beet1 named." He had preached from "Jen~salem,
a11d round about even unto Illyricum" [probably north of Macedonia]
(Romans 15: 19-21). Paul's mission to the Gentiles was leading him toward
Rome, and then his desire was to go on to Spain (Romans 15:24). His pas-
sion was to preach to those "who rt!eretzot (yet) fold" (Romans 15:21).
New congregations were begun by Paul and his companions in many
places. He remained at Corinth for eighteen months (Acts 18:ll). At
Ephesus, he evangelized for about three years, teaching in the lecture hall of
Tyrannus for two of these years (Acts 19:9,10; 20:31). Throughout his min-
istry, this great "missionary" to the nations had TWO great objectives: (1)
To preach the crucified and resurrected Lord so that disciples could be pro-
duced (Matthew 28:18-20), and (2) To assist these baptized saints to
MATURE in the Lord so that they would develop their own leadership,
106
"stand on their own" and be "germinal" in "planting" new congregations.
The church at Thessalonica is a very beautiful example of this principle (1
Thessalonians 1:3-10).
Paul accomplished the second of these objectives in THREE ways: (1)
He taught these new Christians while he was with them. After "many"
Corinthians were baptized (Acts 18:8), he taught them, for example, con-
cerning the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23). (2) Paul would either ask
his companions to STAY with these new Christians for a time, or else he
would ask them to RETURN to encourage and strengthen the brothers (Acts
17:14, 15; 1 Timothy 1:3; Titus 15). (3) Paul would also send inspired let-
ters to strengthen them in the faith. 1 and 2 Thessalonians would be excel-
lent examples, in addition to his other letters to churches and individuals.
In every "mission field, these Biblical goals and objectives should be
primary in the hearts and lives of gospel preachers, both foreign and nation-
al. Every effort should focus on these objectives to avoid, as much as possi-
ble, another Ephesus that "lost its first love", a Sardis that is "dead", and a
Laodicea that is "lukewarm" (Revelation 2, 3).
In the Philippines, we quickly affirm that mistakes have been made, and
heartaches produced. Sometimes, an emphasis has been placed on baptism,
but not discipleship. New Christians have been left alone to "live" spiritual-
ly "on their own", or "die". Other "babies in Christ" have been so depen-
dent on outside "paternalism" that they could not learn to "stand on their
own feet". False teaching, financed by overseas sources, has divided con-
gregations. The challenges involved in overseas financing had to be con-
fronted. In too many instances, the "preacher" provides the "leadership",
and little effort is expended to develop local leadership. Because of this,
congregations have died, or remain static. With sadness, the question is
sometimes asked, "Where are these churches now?"
However, in spite of these problems, the Lord's work has grown in the
Philippines in an encouraging way. When an updated directory of
Philippine churches appears, it will perhaps contain names and locations of
more than 500 congregations. New congregations are beginning continual-
ly. More leadership work is being done, and more churches are becoming
self-sufficient. Much of the evangelism and leadership training is being
organized and accomplished by Filipino brothers, and the American preach-
ers are often considered only as "helpers" or "co-workers", especially those
who try to learn language and culture. Training seminars or forums have
been organized and conducted, with vision and planning, by national leader-
 FROM
THEHEART OF.. .
ship. Bible schools in different parts of the nation were begun, and continue
to operate, with national direction and instruction. This is encouraging.
Another approach to evangelism has begun in the past few years in this
rapidly growing nation of about 75 million people. Studies have been made
concerning Provincial Capitals where no congregation exists, as well as
growing cities in the country which are important centers. "Evangelism
teams" have been formed in different places. This means that preachers,
church leaders, and other Christians volunteer their time and work together
in targeted areas. The first team that began this cooperative approach is
called "MOSES" which means "Mobile Outreach School of Evangelism and
Shepherding". Christians will leave their secular work to spend a week or
more in door knocking and setting up Bible studies in the selected area.
Usually, as many as 1,000 homes will be contacted, people will be enrolled
in the World Bible School correspondence course, and out of this will come
a smaller "core" of good Bible studies. New congregations have begun in a
number of places.

"Mobile Outreach School of Evangelism and Shepherding" brings many

Christians to a targeted area to door-knock and enroll new people for
Bible courses and home Bible studies.
Signing up students who have come to participate in a World Bible
School Seminar.

Many people attend the Gospel meetings that are conducted in con-
junction with medical outreach clinics which are held in unevangelized
areas of the Philippines.
 In the year 2000, a prayerful, "brainstorming" meeting was held in
Tacloban City on the island of Leyte. This writer was the only American
present with six Filipino brothers. Prayer was important in this meeting.
The question was asked, "How can evangelism be done in a population area,
where there is no congregation, that will lead eventually to a self-sufficient
work?'Careful consideration was given to three areas or "phases" of work:
(1) The initial, detailed preparation necessary for an extensive campaign,
(2) The evangelistic endeavor itself, with public and private teaching, and
the beginning of a new congregation, and (3) The extensive teaching that is
necessary to bring the new work to self-sufficient maturity.
It is recognized that this third phase of a new work is a very great chal-
lenge. Leadership needs to rise up, and training must be done. The church
must realize WHO it is, and WHAT its ministry is. Many times, the first
two phases of a new work are far in advance of this third. Consequently, to
assist with this need, attention is now being given to "extension centers" in
different locations where leadership training can be emphasized as a com-
plement to resident Bible schools. In this environment, the teacher will go
to the students, rather than asking leaders to leave their home and work to
come to a resident school. The emphasis will be on church "planting" and
maturing. Those who attend these classes will be asked to engage in the
practical application of the knowledge gained. An extensive curriculum is
being prepared, and the location of these centers is being determined.
The challenges are great.
The reliance is on the Lord.
There must be no distractions
permitted to hinder the "building
of the walls" of spiritual Zion.
There must be unity of purpose
so that an increased number of
workers will preach the good
news "round about" from Aparri
to Tawi Tawi (north to south),
and then to neighboring lands.
This is our task. May God bless
us in it. P

Bob Buchanan has done mission Bob Buchanan baptizing a convert,

work in the Philippines for many
years. the fruit of prayer and work.
I
I Dear Sirs:
I
I
I want to subscribe to the quarterly magazine. THE VOICEOF
I TRUTHINTERNATIONAL. Enclosed is my check for $12.00 for four
I issues, or $20.00 for eight issues, starting with Volume . My
I address is given below.
I want to order the complete set of volumes in print (30 issues)
1 for the reduced price of $75.00. My address is given below.
Please send special prices for WBS teachers and their students.
I I want to MAKE A GIFT SUBSCRlPTlON of THE VOICEOF
TRUTHINTERNATIONAL. Enclosed is my check for $12.00 for four
I issues, or $20.00 for eight issues, starting with V o l u m e . The
address is given below.
The church has agreed to send $25.00 per month (or a rnulti-
ple), for a box of 35 copies (or multiples) of each issue of the mag-
; azine as they are printed. These are to be used in the work of the
1 local church.

I
rn Please use my special contribution to send more copies of this
issue to the mission fields of the world.
1 rn Please accept mycheck to send a bundle to our missionary.
The address is given below.
I rn As a congregation we want to help print and circulate 100,000
copies of each issue of this magazine by making a special contri-
I bution to this effort. We can specify where the copies we pay for
' will be used, whether in our personal work, in jail ministry, over-
seas, o r . . .
I
This congregation wants to have 1000 copies (for $1000 plus
'1 shipping) special-printed of the next issue, with our (our missionary's)
I address, to be shipped directly to us or to him, as per instructions.

: NAME

1 STREET
Suggested uses for individuals and churches for
THE VOICEOF TRUTHINTERNATIONAL:
Use them for family devotionals at home.
If you own a business, dealing with the public, present
copies regularly to your best customers whom you
would like to convert.
Give them to patients in hospitals and nursing homes.
Use them in your personal work and in visiting new-
comers; give to workers in banks, post offices, restau-
rants, and other business offices.
Give a copy to each member of the congregation.
Draw from them for bulletin articles.
Keep them on display in libraries, hospitals, doctors'
offices, barber shops, beauty parlors, and other public
places where there is a magazine rack.
Send them to your WBS students.
Use them in jail ministries and campaigns.
Give subscriptions as birthday, anniversary, etc., gifts.
Encourage the young men in the congregation to draw
materials from them for their public devotionals.
Special order for overseas campaigns.

(Return this form in an envelope, along with your

check, to the following address)

THEVOICE OF TRUTHINTERNATIONAL
2148 N. National
Springfield, MO 65803

Att. Byron Nichols

 vkW& skd - (from page 42) Who Am I?(page 74)

1. carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation

over him."
2. The Christians were scattered throughout Judea and
Samaria.
3. Saul; made havoc of the church, entering every house;
dragging off men; women, committing them to prison. "
4. They went everywhere preaching the word.
5. He went to Samaria and preached Christ to them,
confirming the word with miracles, as Christ had
promised in Mark 16:20.
6. Believed; the kingdom of God; the name of Jesus
1
Christ; baptized.
7. They sent Peter and John (two of the apostles) to
Samaria; when they arrived, they prayed for them
and laid their hands on them (as they had done fo,
the seven in chapter 6), that they might receive the Balaam
miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. Philip could not give these gifts; only
apostles had that power, as Simon rightly observed.
8. To "a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the
queen of Ethiopia, who had charge of all her treasury.'"
9. "How can I, unless someone guides me?".
10. From Isaiah 53:7,8, a messianic prophecy concerning Christ.
11. He preached Jesus to him.
12. The eunuch said, upon coming to a body of water, "See, here is water.
What hinders me from being baptized?"
13. "If you believe with all your heart, you may."
14. "...commanded the chariot; Philip; eunuch; the water; baptized."
15. "...the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no
more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus."
 Saadu-
location: ~ d f d r s E c o l r t o f
Ada.
Land- Appmhatcly7100bdands
smching 1100mikrNazh toSouth;
Luun, h the largest.
Population: 77,725,862;dauity per
scparemik, 671.
MajmCitic#r: Mana,Quuoclcity.
Languqe: Fiiipino, English. Dialects:
80 tot& Ccbuano, lbgabg, tbcano.
Literacy: 95%; Education is fne and
complhory for ages 7-12.
Religion: Roman Carhok Chuch, 8396;
'omm, 994; hhslim, 5%.
lr
Ethnic Woupl: Christian Malay, 92%;
Mudinr Malay, 4%.
Economy: food^,
mila,dmnicak, wood poducu. Chief
m,
aop~:Sugar, rice, corn, coca-
nutr. h d k k n d : 19%. l k t d t : Chk&-
em,buffdo, pigs, goats, M. l h r
farce: 43%agiculture, 23%senku,
16%indurtryandcanmenw.Exports:
$20.5 bil.; PMnm: US: 36%;Japan: 16%.
MomtuYUnit: Pho.
TMCLroLt
Congngrtknr: 400-500 with an appwc
mate lnanbmhip of 30,000.
Hi.toly: Geogc&nsarwarbiwnanc
Chinabefan\kkldWatIIbythe
HcwenttoManilaattheurgingofGeorg
Rppedk. HecRdmntofhischmh-ph
work in Mindao, ad f m them th
chwdrspreadtoodwridandsinthecoultr
The future of the PhiRppim dwch I
bright. There are six p a c k t r a i n i n
schools, *. Suwkc wi Coltn
(reedy acardit;d by the govmmart), a i
ahortofamudmcdicdmirtionr,WWdk
tic canpaigm, kct-, sminam, an
ga-gs.
Among the most active regions is Cctn
when there k a permanent medical clini
cdkd "Good News," a Bible Study C m
officc,CcbuBibleColkgt,andan
team cdled MOSES. Cebu is dro the han
base of Philippine Chrbtkm Chronicle.
nation-wide church newspaper. A majc
chmh@anting effort is being pbnncd fc
bbay, Cebu, along with a new Ub(orld Bibl
Schod office. A key to future dewlopnent I
training.